Results 17,101-17,120 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The accident and emergency unit in Nenagh deals with an average of six or seven patients each night and the equivalent unit in Ennis deals with an average of nine patients each night. Can Deputy Reilly, as a doctor, stand over that? The units are not staffed by doctors who are trained in emergency medicine. The staff of the units do not even report to emergency consultants, surgeon...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I am simply saying they do not have specialist training.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I did not devise this reform in my Department with my officials, or in conjunction with the HSE. This reform is being driven by medical evidence of what is in the best interests of delivering good outcomes for patients.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I remind Deputy Reilly, who may wish to challenge that assertion, that I can quote from many reports, including a World Health Organisation report, in support of it. When Deputy Reilly and I participated in a discussion on RTE the other night, we watched a film clip in which Dr. O'Donnell spoke about an increase of 25% in mortality rates. The World Health Organisation has estimated that the...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I do not believe there is a single Deputy in this House who would not take his or her loved one to such a hospital.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: As Minister for Health and Children, I am part of a Government that has a responsibilityââ
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I listened to the Deputy.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: We have a responsibility to make sure we do not continue with a status quo that does not give patients a chance to enjoy the best possible outcomes, particularly in respect of surgical procedures. By international standards, we have enough people with specialist knowledge in anaesthetics and surgery to deliver emergency surgery in the mid-west region. There are more than 400 hospital...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: We are simply trying to give patients in the mid-west the best chance to enjoy good outcomes when they need to avail of surgery or emergency medicine.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: Notwithstanding Deputy O'Donnell's contribution, I note that the Fine Gael motion does not mention keeping emergency services in St. John's Hospital, or extending them to seven days. I understand that the HSE is in discussions with the hospital authorities on that matter.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: That was not referred to in the motion. Deputy Reilly mentioned the reference to 135 beds in the Teamwork-Howarth report. The report said that 135 beds would be needed if the specialist orthopaedic hospital in Croom and the stand-alone maternity hospital were to be closed, and we were not to have elective procedures in Ennis and Nenagh. As we are not doing those things, we do not need 135...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: That was not envisaged in the Teamwork-Howarth report. We are not closing the stand-alone maternity hospital or the orthopaedic hospital in Croom. That is why the issue of the 135 beds does not arise. In the context of a debate on a matter as important as this â it was chosen as the subject of Fine Gael's Private Members' time â we should deal with the facts that are before us. The...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I assure the Deputy that the staffing implications are being dealt with. I think everybody will acknowledge that this reform is being headed by a clinician, Mr. Burke, who is well respected in the region. He is enthusiastic about the reform and is seeking to engage with his consultant colleagues and others in the region.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: Yes, he will have money to do it. I will deal with that in a moment. Even if no money were available in the morning, it would not be possible to maintain what we have in the region.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: On Thursday of this week, we will outline the Government's response to the report of the patient safety commission. The commission, which was chaired by Dr. Madden, included patient safety advocates and experts from Ireland and overseas. The commission's report has been published, and Deputies are aware that it recommends the establishment of a system of accreditation or licensing in our...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I will deal now with capacity issues. Reference was made to the capacity of the accident and emergency department in Limerick Regional Hospital. On approximately two or three occasions last year patients had to wait more than six hours in that department. That is a fact. As Deputy Reilly knows, patients are treated on trolleys all the time; sometimes the only treatment provided to a...
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: The performance of the accident and emergency department in Limerick Regional Hospital is better than most. The hospital is challenged to provide services and that is the reason a unit with 40 critical care beds for high dependency patients will be provided.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: I am aware of that.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: Planning permission will be sought shortly.
- Hospital Services: Motion (10 Feb 2009)
Mary Harney: Yes, shortly.