Results 8,521-8,540 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospitals Funding (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: It is interesting to talk about cuts when the HSE and the health service has received the largest ever health budget in the history of any budget in this House. It is simply not the case that we are cutting services. We are, however, expecting the hospitals to do a better job of collecting the income that this House legislated for them to collect. These are the views of the Comptroller and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospitals Funding (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I am not a believer in a financial penalty for a hospital because while it sounds like one is acting like a tough guy, it ends up being a circular flow of money. I am not suggesting the Deputy is saying that, but that is my view. We have allocated additional funding to the health service. The HSE will make sure to put that additional funding to use for patients and improved services. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Investigations (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this very serious and important issue. I understand that following concerns over four spinal surgery cases detected through the quality and safety systems in University Hospital Galway in 2014, an audit of care provided by one consultant orthopaedic surgeon was undertaken. An external review of the four cases was then commissioned. On receipt of that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Investigations (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: November 2014 was when the external review was reported. The Saolta group then initiated a wider audit of the practice of the surgeon which was carried out by two independent orthopaedic surgeons. The consultant involved ceased performing spinal surgery immediately. I am further advised that the consultant orthopaedic surgeon in question resigned his post in February 2015 and is no longer...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Investigations (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I fully accept Deputy Connolly's bona fides on the matter but I am sure she accepts mine as well. My primary concern is and will always be - as long as I hold this office - for the individual patients, their confidentiality, safety and sensitivity with regard to their own cases. They have a right to have their confidential patient information absolutely protected. Let me put some more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Hospital Investigations (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I am very happy to share with Deputy Connolly the information I have available to me because this is a very serious matter and it is difficult, going back and forth, to put all the information on the record. However, I am endeavouring to do so. It is important to assure the public that an audit of the surgeon's non-spinal orthopaedic work was also carried out and that no concerns were...

Other Questions: Maternity Services (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Rabbitte for this important question. Regarding the two vacancies in the University Hospital Galway maternity service, the Saolta University Healthcare Group has advised that these vacancies have arisen due to the resignation of the director of midwifery in the autumn, and the untimely passing of the assistant director of midwifery earlier this year. I am advised by the...

Other Questions: Maternity Services (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: In relation to Portiuncula, I will revert to the Deputy. I intend to visit that hospital, as well as Galway University Hospital, this month. I hope the Deputy can join me then and we can explore these issues further. I take the Deputy's point on the importance of these appointments. It is really important that the posts are filled as quickly as possible and I am satisfied that the...

Other Questions: Maternity Services (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: Deputy Rabbitte's point is really important. I have visited many of our maternity hospitals and maternity units over the past six months where so many staff are working extraordinarily hard. While, sadly, we have had tragedies in our maternity services and we must constantly strive to do better, and I have outlined what we will do better, we must also acknowledge the dedication particularly...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to improving waiting times for patients. It is the waiting time rather than the headline figure that is the Deputy's focus, and it is an important point. While recognising that the demand for acute hospital services has increased the important issue for patients is how long they wait. The latest National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, inpatient and day case...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I would tell them that it is utterly unacceptable. That is the reason I believe the House is united in its view, and it is my view, that every cent we target on waiting lists must be focused on the longest waiters. Thankfully we are now spending specific money on waiting lists, be it the €20 million for the NTPF in 2017, the further €55 million earmarked for 2018 or the...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: Indeed.

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I see merit in the NTPF, regardless of past political debates. I acknowledge that the Deputy's party established it. If I was to be objective, in the past perhaps the NTPF cherry-picked patients somewhat, and the point the Deputy and I would agree on is that this time it must target those waiting the longest. That has to be the difference. With regard to the increase in attendances and...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 12 together. I thank Deputy Moynihan for tabling that important question. Similar to Deputy Lahart's question, I would begin by pointing out that we have seen a significant level of underinvestment, perhaps due to the difficult challenging economic years, in addressing waiting lists. There is a direct correlation between under-investing in waiting...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: There does, there will be and there are. That is seen by the increased level of investment in the health service, which is being translated as we speak into a HSE service plan which will see more funding going into the health service in 2017 than in 2016, which is more funding than ever before. I am not suggesting in any way, shape or form that we can rectify all of the challenges and...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I will certainly ask that this be considered in the context of the NTPF funding. It has €20 million for expenditure in 2017. I have approved the first €5 million of that which is for day-case procedures largely because we can get through quite a volume of day-case procedures which takes pressure off the acute hospitals and allows them to do other procedures as well. I have...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: They were taken together.

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I replied to both questions as a group and, therefore, the points I made in response to Deputy Moynihan regarding what I wish to do to tackle waiting lists and the longest waiters stand in the context of this question about Cork. I intend to take the steps I have outlined and that the South-South West Hospital Group will outline as well. Although the Deputy is not suggesting that I am...

Other Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I take seriously the points raised by Deputy Kelleher and, indeed, a number of Cork-based Deputies have brought these to my attention. I will act on them. I have asked the HSE to provide a report on gynaecological service waiting times and what it proposes to do to reduce them. I expect to have that in hand before I meet directly with clinicians in Cork, who also have a range of options....

Other Questions: Maternity Services (1 Dec 2016)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I visited the Coombe Hospital only yesterday, I visited Holles Street Hospital only last Friday and I visited the Rotunda Hospital the week before. In years past, our maternity services did not receive the priority they needed in respect of investment and I am determined to fix that. This is not a political point; it is one levelled at...