Results 2,481-2,500 of 11,255 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I do not necessarily agree with my colleague. I believe they are setting out the facts as they are and I very much appreciate what they have set out here. I have one or two questions - I apologise in advance but I have to speak in the Seanad in a few minutes - on the €800 million, which is going to the section 39 organisations. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: One section of the HSE had a significant increase in staff numbers, but there was no pro rataincrease in section 39 provision. I do not think that was taken into account in the planning process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: Over the past three years there was significant growth in administration and managerial staff in the HSE without anyone calling check on it and saying that we need to look after the people on the front line of section 39 organisations. Neither the Department nor the HSE looked at that issue which should not have arisen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I have analysed the figures and do not accept that. The figures show that 2,000 additional staff were recruited and I do not accept that they ended up on the front line.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I have examined the figures for hospitals. The same approach to looking after front-line services in section 39 organisations was not taken in 2014, 2015 and 2016. My point is that if it had been taken on a pro rata basis, the current challenge in respect of section 39 organisations would not have arisen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: In the 2015 annual report 4,700 staff were categorised as managerial. However, the HSE subsequently changed the classification by removing grades 7 and 8 from the managerial category. The real figures I received in April show there are now 5,400 managerial staff in the HSE. Ms Mannion can give me all of the figures she likes. When questions were tabled on this issue, grade 7 and 8 staff...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Colm Burke: While I accept that, the section 39 organisations did not benefit from a pro rataincrease in funding. If they had been provided with a pro rataincrease, we would not have the current problem.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I wish to raise an issue relating to an article in the Sunday Business Postover the weekend by Susan Mitchell about the over-prescribing and the major increase in the past ten years in the use of certain drugs. The number of people using one drug, Lyrica, has gone up from 54,981 to 652,013. That is more than a 1,086% increase. Use of another drug, OxyContin, an opiate, has gone up from...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Appointments Administration (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. As I know that he has come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health, I will not delay him. This matter was touched on at the committee meeting. It is about people who have appointments to attend hospital outpatient clinics. The figure given at the committee meeting was that 479,000 people had not kept their appointments, but that figure does not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Appointments Administration (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. In the 31 hospitals that have engaged the text messaging solution, is there any indication as to whether it has helped to improve attendance levels and reduce the number of non-attendances? I understand the overall number of outpatient appointments across all hospitals is 3.2 million per annum. That figure was not indicated in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all those who made presentations this morning. I apologise if I go over some of the ground again. I had to deal with a Commencement Matter in the Seanad. I am grateful for the comprehensive reply to my question on the availability of drugs. There is a question mark over short supply of some medication, some pharmaceuticals. I have got a comprehensive reply and I appreciate that....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: The number of public health nurses has only increased by 3.69% in that period. We talk about trying to keep people out of the hospital system, but if we do not have people working in the community, then we have a problem. That is the point I am raising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: If the Vice Chairman wants to deal with that issue, I will come back to the issue of staffing levels.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I still have a concern about staffing issues and I am sorry for raising the matter now. If one looks at the 2015 annual report, the number of managerial staff was down as 4,700 because grades 7 and 8 were listed under the heading of managerial capacity. We have changed this and taken them out of the managerial capacity category and listed them under the administrative capacity category....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: Can I ask about the overprescribing of drugs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I did raise it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: I raised a question on the overprescribing of drugs, which was not answered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: We have a problem in some geographical areas and there seems to be a reliance on some medication. In my own constituency, up to 20% of people are on antidepressants. What has the HSE put in place to deal with such issues?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (7 Feb 2018)

Colm Burke: What action is taken once the cause of the problem is established?