Results 12,001-12,020 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reviews (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: My Department has commenced the Health Service Capacity Review over recent weeks. My officials have been progressing work on the Review process, including putting in place the Review structures, drawing up the Terms of Reference, assessing external expertise requirements, and considering options for stakeholder consultation. The review is being led by my Department and will be overseen by a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Patronage (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 106 together. As the Deputy is aware and will appreciate, voluntary and non-statutory providers, including religious bodies, have historically played an important role in the provision of health and personal social services in Ireland. Many of our largest and most developed health service providers are voluntary organisations, some with religious...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments Waiting Times (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: In September the HSE launched its Winter Initiative Plan which provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness. The Initiative concluded at the end of March. A range of practical measures to address ED overcrowding were implemented, including 90 additional beds, aids and appliances for over 4,450 patients, around 1,000 extra homecare packages and 615...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I understand that the medication in question relates to Omalizumab (Xolair), a drug used to treat asthma. The provision of treatment to patients is based on clinical criteria and is a matter for the treating Consultant. Individual patients should consult their GP or treating consultant in relation to their participation in a medication programme.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Patronage (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 25, 30, 55, 73, 74, 89 and 105 together. Following extensive mediation discussions, agreement was reached late last year between the St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group and the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) on the relocation of the NMH to the Elm Park campus. The terms of the agreement, which has now been published,provides for the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: As you are aware this matter is the subject of litigation in which plaintiffs allege personal injury in which they claim the development of narcolepsy (cataplexy) resulted from the administration of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine. An Order requiring the defendants to make Discovery was made in the High Court on 28 November 2016 in the most advanced case. Discovery is a legal process which must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to the progressive development of maternity services. In 2016, Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy was published along with the HSE's National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death and HIQA's National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services. Since December 2015, each maternity unit...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Stroke Care (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: The National Clinical Programme for Stroke has been in place since early 2010. The vision of the programme is to design standardised models of integrated care pathways for the delivery of clinical care to ensure sustained quality clinical operational management. Overall, the programme aims to improve quality, access and cost-effectiveness of stroke services in Ireland. The programme can...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: In order to ensure that outpatient services are used to best effect, it is important that the HSE progresses initiatives to reduce the number of people not presenting for outpatient appointments. Consequently, the HSE is investing in digital and technological systems to ensure that patients are appropriately reminded. One of the solutions eHealth Ireland has proposed is to provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 236 together. The project to be delivered at Naas General Hospital is more extensive than the endoscopy services department referred to. It also includes accommodation and ancillary services to support the new physical medicine, physical therapy, oncology services and day procedures departments, a duplex (rather than simplex) reverse osmosis...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy (3 May 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: Maternity Services (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 61 together. I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients for scoliosis surgery, I asked the HSE to develop an action plan for 2017. The plans have now been finalised and will be communicated shortly. Every patient, including children under the age of 14, who needs to be treated in 2017 has been considered and is included in the plan. As a result of the recent recruitment campaigns,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and am conscious of the impact of this on people’s lives. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and am conscious of the impact of this on people’s lives. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting patients, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (3 May 2017)

Simon Harris: Emergency Department (ED) attendances at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise to end March this year are down approximately 7.8% with admittances down approximately 12%. However, trolley numbers have increased approximately 25% year to date as compared to last year. The HSE's Special Delivery Unit (SDU) undertook a site visit to the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise in February...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (3 May 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: General Practitioner Services Provision (3 May 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, especially in remote rural areas and also in disadvantaged urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future. I want to ensure that existing GP services are retained and that general practice remains an...