Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Health the mechanism in place in the HSE to enable regular updates or reports on the treatment and progress of patients; the way in which progress and treatment is monitored by the HSE in cases in which persons have been sent to Britain for treatment due to a lack of suitable treatment options here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19193/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, the functions of the Medical Council include the specification of standards of practice for registered medical practitioners, including the establishment, publication, maintenance and review of appropriate guidance on all matters related to professional conduct and ethics. The Council’s 2016 Guide to Professional Conduct for Registered Medical Practitioners emphasises the importance of continuity of care for patients.

Doctors are responsible for their patients until care has been taken over by another doctor or service. The Guide also notes that referral to another doctor or health professional for an opinion or treatment usually involves the transfer (in part) of responsibility for a patient’s care, usually for a set time and a particular purpose, such as care that is outside a practitioner’s area of expertise. The Guide to Professional Conduct also contains clear guidance for doctors on the provision of information to patients, with an emphasis on enabling them to exercise their right to make informed decisions about their care. These principles should inform the provision of care to patients whether this takes place entirely in this country or whether elements are provided outside the jurisdiction under the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme.

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the specific arrangements which operate within the services for which the Executive is responsible.