Results 17,641-17,660 of 46,081 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Data (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Administration (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014,has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follows an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (8 Feb 2018)

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: HSE Expenditure (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The 2018 National Service Plan sets out a budget of over €14.5 billion for the HSE. This represents an overall increase of over €600 million on 2017, which is a substantial level of additional funding. For its overall budget for 2018 the HSE is expected to, and has signed up to provide, a level of service greater than, or equal to, that which was provided in 2017. Health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Expenditure (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The HSE Budget planning process involves a co-ordinated practice of detailed engagement across the Community Healthcare Organisations, Hospital Groups and Service areas in the HSE, ensuring local services have access to expert financial advice and decision support in relation to the delivery of safe Health and Social Care services, within the funding available. The amount allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Health capital funding was outlined in the recently published Public Service Estimates for 2018 and the HSE is currently developing its Capital Plan for 2018-2021. The Government is preparing a new National Development Plan for the period 2018-2027, which is expected to be published alongside and in support of the forthcoming new National Planning Framework, to sustain national economic and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 223 together. The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, making comparisons between health systems can be very difficult, as no two systems are alike. However, it is clear to us all that we will need to make significant and sustainable investments and reforms across the health service if we are to meet the impending challenges of a growing and aging population. This was the key finding of the recently published...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for patients is one of the Government's key priorities. Throughout 2017, the HSE and NTPF worked together to drive down long wait times for Inpatient and Daycase procedures. Over 29,000 patients came off the Inpatient/Daycase waiting list by the end of October . At present 57% of patients on the Inpatient / Daycase Waiting List wait less than 6 months, and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Status (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: The new children’s hospital is the most significant capital investment in healthcare in the history of the State and the project is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance paediatric services for children. The new children’s hospital facilities at the St James’s campus along with the Out Patient Departments (OPD) and urgent care centres (UCC) at Connolly and at Tallaght...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reform (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: I welcome the recommendations made by the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare in relation to reform of our health structures. I have already made clear my views on the need for much stronger governance and accountability arrangements, a better geographical alignment between hospital groups and community healthcare organisations, and a better balance between central strategy and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Health capital funding was outlined in the recently published Public Service Estimates for 2018 and the HSE is currently developing its Capital Plan for 2018-2021. The Government is preparing a new National Development Plan for the period 2018-2027, which is expected to be published alongside and in support of the forthcoming new National Planning Framework, to sustain national economic and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Notwithstanding significant recruitment and retention challenges, including global shortages, considerable progress has been made in the past four years in growing the numbers of doctors and nurses working in the public health services as additional resources have become available. The number of consultants has increased by 109 in the 12 months ending December 2017 to 2,971 whole time...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Each EU member state is responsible for the procurement of its own medicinal products. However, our membership of the single market offers an opportunity for international cooperation with other member countries to reduce the cost of new drugs. I and my officials have been actively engaged with our European colleagues on the issue of drug pricing through a number of EU voluntary forums,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (8 Feb 2018)

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: Mental Health Services Provision (8 Feb 2018)

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: Orthodontic Services Data (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Electronic Health Records (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: Regarding the specific situation that the Deputy has referred to in Sweden, representatives from my Department regularly attend eHealth meetings as part of the European eHealth Network with their European counterparts, which includes the Ministry of Health in Sweden. Attendance at these meetings ensures my Department is up-to-date with both progress and challenges encountered by other EU...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services Provision (8 Feb 2018)

Simon Harris: As this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (8 Feb 2018)

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.