Results 13,241-13,260 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternal Deaths (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Statistics on causes of death are based on civil registration and compiled internationally by the World Health Organisation. In the most recent World Health Statistics Annual Report (2012), Ireland had the 13th lowest rate of maternal mortality out of 178 countries reporting data. It is generally recognised internationally that official vital statistics can result in an underestimate of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The HSE commenced the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme (Diabetic RetinaScreen) in February 2013. Diabetic Retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and the leading cause of blindness among working age Irish adults. Approximately 10 per cent of the Irish diabetic population has sight-threatening Diabetic Retinopathy and around 90 per cent of this group will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Graduate Nursing Scheme Issues (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: A major objective of this scheme was to put in place more cost-effective service delivery arrangements, having regard to the high rates of expenditure on agency staffing and overtime. The scheme also enables recently-qualified nurses and midwives to gain a variety of front-line service experience and to further develop specific professional skills. As the Deputy will be aware, the nursing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Air Ambulance Service Provision (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The twelve month emergency aeromedical support (EAS) service pilot has now been completed. The EAS pilot is currently being reviewed and that assessment is expected to be completed shortly. In relation to the continuation of the service, I have agreed with my colleague, the Minister for Defence, to an extension of aeromedical support by the Air Corps to the EAS service for a period of up...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 114 together. The Framework for Smaller Hospitals lists the services that are appropriate to a smaller hospital. The future growth in healthcare will be in the services such as ambulatory care (including chronic disease management and day surgery), diagnostics and rehabilitation which will be based in smaller hospitals. As a result of these...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Issues (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The HSE is actively managing the recruitment process for the next rotation of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors in order to ensure that as many as possible are recruited and that all critical service needs are met. A number of separate recruitment processes are currently underway including: - Filling by the Postgraduate Training Bodies of posts on training schemes; - HSE Centralised...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: For 2013, the maximum waiting time targets are less than eight months for adults, less than 20 weeks for children and less than 13 weeks for routine GI endoscopy. The latest available figures at 2 May 2013 show: - A total of 39,064 (88% of total) adults waiting less than 8 months - 5,392 adults waiting longer than eight months - 3,725 adults waiting longer than nine months - 717 adults...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Suicide Prevention (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: My Department has a National Lottery discretionary fund in place which provides once-off grants to community groups and organisations providing a range of health related services. The assessment of applications is made on the basis that these grants are intended to be discretionary 'once off ' funding and are not intended to fund ongoing services. Once an application has been received and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Patient Safety Authority (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: My Department is examining the appropriate structures for the responsibilities that might be assigned to the Patient Safety Agency (PSA). The role and inter-relationship of the PSA with the reforming health system needs to be carefully designed and developed. My Department is liaising with the Health Service Executive on the details surrounding the establishment of the PSA to ensure an...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Diabetes Strategy (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Obesity Strategy (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: As Minister for Health, I have made overweight and obesity a public health priority and have established a Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) with whom I meet regularly to progress the obesity agenda. The range of measures being implemented by my Department seek to promote a healthy lifestyle, to encourage adults and children to make healthier food choices and to become more active. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cochlear Implants (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The HSE has advised that it is working closely with Beaumont Hospital to progress plans for both simultaneous and sequential bilateral cochlear implantation. The development of the service will require additional resources for Beaumont and a business case is currently being prepared, with guidance from two UK independent experts, which will be submitted for consideration in the HSE 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Training and Development (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The only courses approved in 2011 and 2012 were relatively short-term intensive and low cost relative to benefit and therefore did not require a formal cost-benefit analysis. It is essential that senior Officials in my Department take part in training courses and programmes so they can manage more effectively the numerous challenges which face my Department and our Health System now and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: A significant reform programme is under way in the HSE to reconfigure the management and delivery of pre-hospital emergency care services. Under Future Health: A Strategic Framework for Health Reform in Ireland 2012-2015, this will ensure a clinically driven, nationally coordinated system to support all pre-hospital emergency care activity in the State. The programme involves a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Cover (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I do not have a role in the day to day operations of any private health insurance company. However, it is my understanding that each of the private health insurance companies has its own procedures in place to investigate instances where over-charging of customers for hospital treatments is identified and notified to the insurer. In the case of the VHI, the Deputy may wish to note that VHI...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: As the Deputy's question relates to operational matters in the HSE, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy on these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Agency Staff Expenditure (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I have requested the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy on the current level of expenditure on agency staff in hospitals and care institutions. The recruitment of permanent staff in the health service is subject to compliance with the terms of the general moratorium on recruitment and the requirement to achieve substantial net reductions in staff numbers in the course of 2013. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: The decisions to employ both individuals concerned in the Special Delivery Unit were based on specific requirements for the provision of specialised expertise to address significant health service reform, as committed to in the Programme for Government. The Department of Health fully cooperates with the Revenue Commissioners in the exercise of their duties and is vigilant with regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: Improving access to outpatient services across all specialties, including ear, nose and throat, is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU, together with NTPF and HSE has developed the outpatient waiting list minimum dataset. This allows data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis so that, for the first time, outpatient data...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (25 Jun 2013)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 621 together. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Ireland, but outcomes are good and improving. There is a growing body of evidence internationally that long term hospital based clinical follow up of well women with a history of breast cancer is not required and confers no additional benefit to the women. Under the...