Results 13,061-13,080 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Agency Staff Data (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The personal information requested by the Deputy is not available to me. However, he may wish to note that all voluntary hospitals, under the terms of their Service Arrangements with the HSE, are obliged to comply with all applicable laws and regulations as set out in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016). The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: In response 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: Long-Term Illness Scheme (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida;...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, the Committee on the Future of Healthcare published its final report on the 30th May 2017. As part of its report, the Committee has made a series of recommendations in relation to the organisation, leadership and governance structures in our health system, including the potential role for regional bodies to support integrated care. I have been clear since the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families. There is no doubt that our public hospital system is challenged in meeting the growing demand for care. Last year alone, there was a 2% increase in inpatient and day-case activity over 2015. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Groups (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The establishment of Hospital Groups represents a very significant reform of our hospital services. Hospital Groups continue to be implemented on an administrative basis and, until legislation is advanced, will continue to operate within the existing policy and accountability frameworks of the Department of Health and the HSE. I have been clear since the Committee on the Future of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that I met with a representative group from Connemara on 20th February last to hear their views and assure them of this Government's commitment to the development of our ambulance services. At this meeting the group highlighted a number of issues which I followed up with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. It is worth...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Training (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to the continued development of General Practitioner capacity and to ensuring that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services. The annual number of training places available has been increased from 120 in 2009 to an expected intake of 171 in 2017. The Government is committed to further increasing this number in future years. The HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: 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 National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Recruitment (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I have received a report from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) on the issue raised by the Deputy. The NMBI have advised that: Applicants who trained outside the EU/EEA are considered as Group 3 applicants for the purpose of applying for registration with NMBI. Each application is individually assessed to include a full review of the applicant's education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Infectious Diseases (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: Lyme disease is diagnosed by medical history and physical examination. The infection is confirmed by blood tests which look for antibodies produced by an infected person's body in response to the infection. These normally take several weeks to develop and may not be present in the early stages of the disease. The standard approach to Lyme diagnostics is a two-stage approach and involves...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: There has been a significant improvement in the staffing of the public health services in the past three years as the economic position has improved and additional funding has been made available to support service delivery. From end April 2014 to end April 2017, total numbers employed have increased by over 10,000 whole time equivalents to 111,979. The number of consultants has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: Under the Minimum Benefit Regulations, 1996, all health insurance products that provide cover for in-patient hospital treatment must provide a certain minimum level of benefits. The key purpose of the Regulations is to ensure the continued availability of the type of broad hospital cover traditionally held as a minimum by the insured population and to ensure that individuals do not...

Written Answers — Department of Health: European Medicines Agency (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) plays a vital role in the protection of the health of 500 million EU citizens through the scientific evaluation and safety monitoring of human and veterinary medicines. The EMA is also key to maintaining the competitiveness of the European pharmaceutical industry, which is worth approximately €260 billion annually. As a consequence of the United...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (21 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: As you know, I published the Health Products Regulatory Authority’s report ‘Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review’ in February and announced my intention to establish a Cannabis Access Programme for cannabis-based treatments to be provided for qualifying patients. The HPRA report recommended that patients accessing cannabis through the programme should be...