Results 1,121-1,140 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The most recent figures available show that in 2003, the total cost of antihistamines prescribed under the general medical services, drug payment scheme and long-term illness scheme was â¬2,338,784. Figures are not available for the sale of non-prescription, "over the counter" antihistamines. Antihistamines are a well recognised, safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of allergic...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for infection control measures in hospitals. Accordingly, my Department has requested the interim chief...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 91 together. The inquiry referred to by the Deputies is ongoing and, subject to legal advice, it is my intention to publish the report of the inquiry when it comes to hand. I have received proposals from Patient Focus, the group that represents former patients of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, requesting the establishment of a redress board. I intend to...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I am keeping in close contact with the IHCA and the IMO regarding recent developments. I am available to meet them as and when required.
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The question of who is responsible for settling claims against consultants arising from events, which occurred prior to the establishment of the clinical indemnity scheme, is, in the first instance, one for consultants and their defence bodies. Consultants paid substantial subscriptions to the Medical Defence Union, MDU, over many years. The primary purpose of joining the MDU was to secure...
- Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: A national working group was established in May 2003 to advise on future measures for strengthening the regulatory environment for complementary therapists and is expected to report in 2005. I will review the position in the light of the recommendations of this report. In the meantime it is, of course, the personal responsibility of every individual practitioner providing health care services...
- Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: It is estimated that the total percentage increase in VHI premiums for its core products since 1997 is 96%. Officials in the Department of Health and Children have estimated that the recently announced increase in the cost of private beds in public hospitals will result in an increase in health insurance premiums of approximately 5%. In the interests of equity, the Government has a policy of...
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 100 together. The Deloitte and Touche report has been updated and is being considered by the Department of Health and Children. I expect to publish it in the near future.
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: Significant progress has been made in increasing the number of training places in a wide range of health and social care professional courses in recent years. Following the implementation of the recommendations of the Bacon report, approximately 152 undergraduate places are available to students who want to study physiotherapy in Ireland. The number of occupational therapy training places has...
- Written Answers — Community Care: Community Care (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The provision of step down services for people ready to be discharged from hospital is a key element in ensuring that health services are matched to patient needs. When I published the health Estimates for 2005, I announced that patients awaiting discharge from acute hospitals would be accommodated in private nursing home beds for up to six weeks. When a patient is discharged from a private...
- Written Answers — Hospital Charges: Hospital Charges (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: Casemix is an internationally accepted management system for the monitoring and evaluation of health services. It allows for the collection, categorisation and interpretation of hospital patient data about the types of cases treated. It assists hospitals in defining their products, measuring their productivity and assessing quality. It is used as part of the budgetary process to base funding...
- Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 141 and 142 together. The average number of acute hospital beds available in November 2004, the latest date for which complete figures are available, was approximately 13,400. A comprehensive review of acute hospital bed capacity needs, Acute Hospitals Bed Capacity â A National Review, was published by the Department in January 2002. The review helped to...
- Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: Entitlement to health services is primarily based on residency and means. The determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. Other than for persons aged 70 years and over who are automatically entitled to a medical card, medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the executive, are unable to provide general practitioner...
- Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The common list of reimbursable medicines for the general medical services and drug payment schemes ensures equity between the schemes in respect of the range of medicines paid for by the State. The list is reviewed and amended each month, as new products become available and deletions are notified. An item must comply with a published list of criteria if it is to be included on the common...
- Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The national primary care steering group published a progress report in July 2004 which provides a detailed overview of progress in the implementation of the primary care strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction. I have no plans at present to publish a separate progress report on the implementation of the strategy. The national primary care steering group has a remit to oversee the...
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The provisions of section 79 of the Health Act 2004 provide for the making by the Minister for Health and Children of regulations regarding the dealings between the Health Service Executive and Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It provides that these regulations will relate to the supply by the executive of specified documents or specified information to Members of either House of the...
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: Regulation of the nursing and midwifery professions is the statutory responsibility of An Bord Altranais. The code of professional conduct for each nurse and midwife provides a framework to assist nurses to make professional decisions, to carry out their responsibilities and to promote high standards of professional conduct. Under the code, "any circumstance which could place patients/clients...
- Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The task force on medical staffing recognised the important contribution that primary care can make to the provision of quality patient care and to reducing inappropriate demand on the hospital sector. At the Department's request, the East Coast Area Health Board, which is now the HSE east coast area, and the Mid-Western Health Board, now the HSE mid-western area, comprising the two phase 1...
- Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: According to the most recent Health Service Employers Agency survey of nursing resources, recruitment remains well ahead of resignations and retirements. Employers reported that 794 vacancies existed at 30 September 2004. The vacancy rate now stands at 2.34%. This could be considered to be a normal frictional rate, given that there will always be some level of movement due to resignations,...
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (10 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I take it the Deputy is referring to the public health care sector, for which employment information is collected by the Department on the basis of the grade of staff and the employing agency, rather than on the basis of the classification of duties requested by the Deputy. The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the...