Results 20,041-20,060 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy that we need to do more about this issue, but I will give some figures, given the considerable commentary on the matter in recent months. We are making significant progress. In the 12-month period between April 2017 and April 2018, the total number fell from 10,304 patients waiting to 7,818, a decrease of more than 20%. On the length of time people have to wait, 744...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will take the Deputy up on his offer. I do not want anyone to work in a silo. There is enough work to go around. Given the ageing demographic profile, demand for ophthalmological services will only increase. The report of the primary care eye service review group is a good body of work, with people working in the community and acute hospital settings coming together to draw up what was...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that rolling out the package of supports is a priority. Not only did we appoint a national lead within the HSE to co-ordinate it, but we have also instructed that lead to ensure public health nurses are assigned in each of the community healthcare organisations, CHOs, to liaise with the families. I do not want to hear of any woman or her family having to go to a meeting...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Not yet.

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: At the request of many Deputies, the laboratories we use and their performance are specifically within Dr. Scally's terms of reference because I do not feel qualified nor, I respectfully suggest, is anyone in the House to make these adjudications. All of the laboratories being used meet international standards and follow the quality guidelines set for the programme. The clinical advice is...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I have not negotiated my Estimates for 2019 with the Minister for Finance, and Public Expenditure and Reform, yet. The Government has made it clear in a number of decisions that whatever financial supports are required will be provided. The Taoiseach has made it clear here on the record of this House and the Government has given me assurances about the funding of the practical measures that...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: On HPV testing, I asked the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, to carry out a health technology assessment on this and it came back recommending HPV testing. I decided in February that we would move ahead with the introduction of that later this year. I have asked that that be accelerated. It is a big body of work. It will also provide the opportunity for the reconfiguration...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will ask that question of the HSE and revert to Deputy Broughan. I envisage that it is likely that Dr. Scally's report will signpost any areas identified as needing improvements, make recommendations and outline to us what further body of work needs to be done. I want to take the opportunity, on the record of the Dáil, to reiterate the point about screening not being a diagnostic...

Other Questions: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In the interests of providing accurate information, I will have to check that. I do not have a note available to me about that. I will check for the Deputy if the mammogram machines have been upgraded since he last asked the question of my predecessor and will revert to him directly.

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2015, the HSE established a group to review the eligibility criteria for employment as a psychologist in the HSE psychological services. This came about in response to ongoing issues with the eligibility criteria for recruitment to HSE psychologist positions. The review was completed in 2016 and made recommendations which have been accepted in full by the HSE. Both clinical and...

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne for bringing the information to my attention. I will ask the HSE to examine what he has said and revert directly to him on it. In 2015, the HSE established a review group to examine the eligibility criteria for employment as a psychologist. In its review the group was guided by the changes to models of care, by service user safety, by maximising our resources and...

Other Questions: Health Services Staff (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will ask the HSE to engage with all unions in this matter. The terms and conditions of existing staff members are not being changed, but what we are saying, for good reason, which is grounded in trying to improve the experience of the service user and based on a very comprehensive and detailed review that was carried out, is that qualifications should also be matched with experience...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: The choice of care for a patient is determined by the needs of the individual patient. Both talk therapy and medication are included in this process as options to consider. HSE specialist mental health services provide a wide range of talking therapies in both child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and adult mental health services. The HSE also provides talk therapies at...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne. I agree with him and I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, does as well. The HSE's mental health services are working with the Department of Health on a project which aims to improve access to mental health information and support through the harnessing of communication technologies. There are a number of strands to this project. First, there will be...

Other Questions: Mental Health Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Browne for his point. We are in agreement on this issue. We need to see a greater roll-out of these services. However, I would point out that the data are encouraging in terms of the number of people now being seen. Taking the example of counselling in primary care from 2015 to 2017, in 2015, 17,002 people were referred to the service, which increased to 18,471 in 2016 and...

Other Questions: Emergency Departments Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Under the winter initiative, over 200 additional beds opened this winter across a range of sites, including critical care beds in Cork University Hospital, CUH. A further 30 acute medical beds are scheduled to open later this year in CUH, including two more critical care beds. In addition, CUH has been supported over the recent winter months...

Other Questions: Emergency Departments Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: If the Deputy wants to correspond with me, I would be grateful to get the details of the case in question. I would be happy to raise it with the HSE because we need to take a serious look at how we can reduce the number of delayed discharges in our health service. I want to see the home care packages that we are funding to help people to get back home deployed as quickly as possible. I...

Other Questions: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Provision (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Moynihan for tabling this question, which relates to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in CHO 4. The Government remains strongly committed to developing all aspects of mental health services, including CAMHS, as envisaged under A Vision for Change. This is being delivered by the HSE in the context of its agreed annual service plans. Significant...

Other Questions: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Provision (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Deputy Moynihan is right to highlight this as an important issue and I know he will welcome the new staff starting between April and July of this year in his CHO area. This is an area in respect of which the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, also has concerns. The Deputy will accept that it is not a funding challenge. The funding is in place for a number of unfilled posts and there is a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Remuneration (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2015, my Department completed a review of the appropriate salary levels for the CEOs of Section 38 funded agencies, in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The review came about as a result of a recommendation made in the HSE’s Internal Audit Report on remuneration of senior managers in Section 38 agencies.  This recommendation...