Results 9,741-9,760 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Decisions on pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical products within public health systems are a national competence for EU Member States. However, the issue of pricing and reimbursement of medicines and patient access to affordable medicines has been addressed at European level. In June 2016 the EU Council adopted conclusions on strengthening the balance in the pharmaceutical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (1 Feb 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: In August, following a briefing on electronic referrals, I tasked the HSE's Chief Information Officer with producing a report into how digital solutions could change the way in which waiting lists are managed. The HSE has responded providing my Department with a detailed set of options that could be explored. This response on the digital challenge for waiting lists includes an overview...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. While there are significant challenges at present in recruiting consultants, nurses and midwives and doctors, due primarily to worldwide shortages and international competition, progress has been made in recent years in growing the consultant and NCHD workforce in particular. Since the establishment of the HSE, the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Eligibility (1 Feb 2017)

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: Hospital Beds Data (1 Feb 2017)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: In order to respond to increasing demand for hospital services, Budget 2017 provides an additional €118 million for acute hospital services in 2017. This includes €9m, which has been allocated to expand existing, or develop new acute hospital services in 2017. Of this funding, €109 million will be used to maintain our existing level of service to take into account...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Provision (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: There are many initiatives currently underway to improve nursing and midwifery staffing levels throughout the country. The number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 1,650 whole time equivalents between December 2013 and December 2016, notwithstanding intense global competition for our nurses and midwives. The HSE is offering permanent posts to 2016 degree programme graduates, and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: 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 (1 Feb 2017)

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 this contractual requirement, such services have been developed and expanded...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Home Accommodation Provision (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health care projects. Therefore the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled. Cancellation of elective procedures can occur for a variety of exceptional reasons including:- cancellations because a bed or the clinical team are not available; cancellations by the patient or because the patient may not be fit for surgery at the time. Based on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: In order to respond to increasing demand for hospital services, Budget 2017 provides an additional €118 million for hospital services in 2017. Of this funding, €109m will be used to maintain our existing level of service to take into account the costs associated with: our aging demographics; meeting increased demand for medicines, medical technology and procedures in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 87, 105, 116, 120, 134 and 148 together. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. We are seeing a considerable increase in demand for health services as our population grows and ages. For example, the HSE has advised that to the end of September, there was a sustained increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services Provision (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services. The Programme for Partnership Government commits to increasing the number of GP training places to 259 places annually. In July 2016, the GP training intake increased from 157 to 172 places and the HSE's 2017 National Service Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: As of September, 2016, acute hospital bed capacity numbered 12,728 beds, comprised of 10,569 inpatient and 2,159 day case beds. The bed capacity figures per 1,000 population recorded by the OECD for the Republic of Ireland, and for the UK, do not include capacity in private hospitals, unlike figures recorded in many other EU countries. In 2007, the PA Consulting Bed Capacity Report recorded...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Recruitment (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Discussions between the INMO, SIPTU, my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the HSE have been ongoing over the past week in relation to nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention and the talks are continuing. The management side supplied a joint proposal document setting out a number of specific measures to attract and retain nursing staff, in addition to a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (1 Feb 2017)

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.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: Under the Misuse of Drugs Acts, cannabis and certain cannabis-related compounds are strictly controlled. It is open for an Irish registered doctor to apply for a licence for such preparations for an individual, named-patient under their care. Such applications will be considered on a case by case basis. The appropriateness of any particular treatment is a matter between the patient and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 124 together. I have confirmed that my Department will undertake a capacity review this year in line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government. I would like to assure the Deputies that this is a priority action for me and my Department. Systematic analysis of the capacity requirements of the health service is an obvious...