Results 7,621-7,640 of 45,608 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to a decisive shift towards primary care to provide better care close to home for communities around the country. Primary Care Centres are an integral part of this because of the range of multi-disciplinary services they can provide and the role they can play in keeping people who don't need to be in an acute setting out of hospital. All...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Galway University Hospitals comprise of University Hospital Galway (UHG), a model 4 tertiary referral centre, and Merlin Park Hospital, a model 2 hospital, both located in the city of Galway. A number of significant projects have been completed in UHG in recent years. These include the Clinical Research Facility, the upgrade of the Maternity Unit and the CF out-patient department. In...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. The key issue is how long they wait. According to the September waiting list data published by the NTPF, 78% of patients on the outpatient...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Contracts (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The development of primary care is central to the Government's objective to deliver a high-quality, integrated and cost effective health service. The Programme for Government commits to a decisive shift within the health service towards primary care in order to deliver better care close to home in communities across the country. The development of a new, modernised contract for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Pressures on Emergency Departments in general have been rising, as the population is both growing and aging. The HSE has reported an overall increase of approx. 5% in patient attendances at EDs nationally this year and an increase of 2% in attendances at the ED in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. It is essential that in the coming winter, every effort is made by hospitals to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Performance Management Systems (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The HSE Performance and Accountability Framework makes explicit the responsibilities of health service managers in relation to the four equally important domains of Access to Services, Quality and Safety of those Services, delivery within the Financial Resources available and effectively harnessing the efforts of the Workforce. The Framework ensures that designated managers are explicitly and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The National Women & Infants Health Programmewill lead the implementation of Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026.The Programme will scope out the multiprofessional staffing requirement for the new model of care proposed, and prepare a workforce plan to build capacity, and a training needs analysis to build capability, to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Since 2012 as a matter of policy, the National Treatment Purchase Fund ensures that clinicians contracted or employed by private hospitals do not receive remuneration for the treatment of the same patient from both the referring public hospital, by way of salary, and from the treating private hospital, by way of a fee. I am advised by the NTPF that this is explicitly prohibited in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 67, 78, 86 and 101 together. The HSE National Service Plan 2016 commits to the planning and development of equitable access to antenatal anomaly screening in all maternity units in the context of emerging maternity networks.In addition, the National Maternity Strategy is clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: General Practitioners contracted under the General Medical Services Scheme must make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum/deputy, for emergencies outside normal practice hours. While there is no obligation on GPs to participate in GP out-of-hours cooperatives as a means of meeting the contractual requirement, such services have been developed and expanded...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Recruitment (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 63, 396 and 560 together. Nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention is a priority for the health service. There are many initiatives currently underway to improve staffing levels throughout the country. The HSE is offering permanent posts to 2016 degree programme graduates, and full time permanent contracts to those in temporary posts. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 100 together. A key challenge for our health system is ensuring that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those patients waiting longest. In August I tasked the Office of the HSE Chief Information Officer with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act, 1970, medical cards are provided to persons who are, in the opinion of the HSE, unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their dependents and every application must be assessed on that basis. In accordance with the Act, the assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means, including the income and expenditure,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Scoliosis affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents in Ireland. The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity. Long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are not acceptable, and my Department has been working closely with the HSE to address services pressures, particularly in Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 80 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for a Partnership Government committed to the development of a second Cath Lab in University Hospital Waterford, (UHW) subject to a favourable recommendation from an independent clinical review of the needs of the region. The review was undertaken by Dr Niall Herity, a highly respected, Belfast...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. A new four-year Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines was signed in July 2016 with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) which is expected to deliver approximately €600 million in savings over the lifetime of the Agreement. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...