Results 17,601-17,620 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Cystic Fibrosis Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: It is a priority but, to be fair to the HSE, if it does not have the money it cannot do it. Virtually all of the HSE's capital plan is contractual. Yesterday, I stated that I know the hospital has an alternative proposal on how this could be funded in the immediate period and we need to explore options in an innovative and imaginative way to bring this facility into place as quickly as...

Cystic Fibrosis Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: That was explored last summer and the hospital's very strong preference, because of space issues, was to do it all together. We committed to doing this, which is why we reorganised within the hospital. Certainly, all options will be explored. As the Deputy may be aware, the care of the elderly facility at St. Vincent's leaves much to be desired. The facilities there for very old stroke...

Cystic Fibrosis Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: The matter of life expectancy is not confirmed by the registry. However, this is not the issue. The issue is having appropriate facilities for these patients and I am committed to making this happen.

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 87 together. I have no plans to close any acute hospital. My priority is to ensure all acute hospital services are delivered to the highest standard of quality and safety to patients and in the most efficient way possible. My aim is to make certain that we provide the right type of acute care in the right type of hospital. There is an abundance of...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: Professor John Higgins has been appointed as the clinical project director. I met him last week. His task is to engage with the clinical community in the region and to reach agreement on what should take place in Mallow General Hospital rather than Cork University Hospital or the other hospitals in Cork or Kerry. I believe this has been a very successful process and it is working well in...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: It is probably top of the class in the country in that regard. The national day case target is 75%, but in the case of Mallow General Hospital it is only between 30% and 40%. Its mix of public and private patients is very far off the mark. Some 50% of the surgical patients are private in Mallow General Hospital and, as the Deputy is aware, the national target is 20%. I hope that in the...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I hasten to add I am not being critical, because it was placed top of the class along with St. Vincent's Hospital on the hygiene audit. Last year, I visited Mallow General Hospital and I was very impressed. There are infrastructural requirements for the hospital as there are for many acute hospitals. There are a large number of very old hospitals providing services and we must ensure any...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: We are not centralising. We are bringing hospitals together to work as a network. The evidence is overwhelming. Every training body has signed on. For example, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland strongly supports the cancer control plan. Volume equates with quality. Since the volume in terms of rare diseases is low, this does not apply to all cases, but volume and quality are...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: There is not. There are individual pockets——

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: ——in which people are perceived to have been adversely affected and might not be happy from time to time. In the main, all of the training bodies support the reform. There may be issues along the edges, but the reform of hospitals is supported.

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: What is the Deputy discussing?

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I am not aware of the report on a hospital not performing because it had been starved of resources to which Deputy Reilly referred. We have increased resources five fold in the past 12 or so years, but it is not just an issue of resources. Were there never to be an extra penny, the manner in which we organise services does not meet the patient safety test. This issue must be addressed as a...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: The resources necessary to do what we want this year will be forthcoming. We have already given——

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: Deputy Reilly needs to read the report in its entirety instead of taking pieces from it. The commitment to the——

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: The Deputy has been briefed by Dr. Paul Burke, Dr. Cathal O'Donnell and many of the region's other clinicians, who are enthusiastic. I am sure that there are doctors in the mid-west who do not agree, but everything has its enemies and reform has quite a few cynics, who we know. However, the majority of hospital doctors in the mid-west are enthusiastic about the changes, including doctors in...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: They relate to another part of the country.

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I must repeat the truth.

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 101 and 212 together. The Government is committed to ensuring the delivery of the best quality health services for the people of County Roscommon in a safe and cost effective way. Ensuring patient safety is paramount so that people can have confidence in the services and that the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved. It is essential that we...

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: As for the aforementioned consultant appointment, the Deputy is aware there are personnel issues in this regard. I understand the current post-holder has an illness.

Hospital Services. (31 Mar 2009)

Mary Harney: At present, we are in the process of appointing two physicians.