Results 23,861-23,880 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Deputy quite rightly said, the ambition is very serious. The ambition is ultimately for free GP access to be the norm in our country, not just for children. That is where we have to go and we have to get there quickly. To do that, there has to be massive investment in general practice, including in the numbers, as we have discussed, and in the supports around them, such as eHealth,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We are doing several things. We have to first recognise there is a serious issue. I know the groups met with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and the figures it gave them were very stark in respect of future shortages. Let us all agree this is a major issue that needs to be dealt with. What do we do? We need a very significant increase...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, I do. I accept all those issues. Certainly, the conversations I have had with GPs and members of the Irish Medical Organisation reflect all of that. We need to be flexible. From the conversations I have had with GPs, many of the younger GPs, and some of the more urban-based ones, are very interested in being in primary care centres, multidisciplinary teams and a lot of the innovation...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. What I asked for from the HSE was an ambitious plan that would get these children the care they need as quickly as possible. I am not interested in solving it over a five-year period; we have got to solve it now. We have paediatric orthopaedic surgeons who do not have the operating theatre time they need. We have operating theatres that are open between 9 p.m. and 5...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, the plan is for end-to-end care. One of the surgeons at the meeting last week made a related point. He said we are not funding individual surgeries in this regard; we are funding care for children. He said several of these children may have to go in for multiple surgeries and they may need multiple surgeries this year. Thus, the targets are not around individual operations. What we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, absolutely. It is something we have discussed - both Monday to Friday and opening earlier and later. It is something that happens in the adult private world. The operating theatres run longer as do the diagnostic suites. The operating theatres are open on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays. In fact, the HSE sometimes uses the private facilities sometimes on a Saturday. It is a "Yes",...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy very much for the question. It is a hugely important issue. I pay tribute to GPs and everyone working with them in general practice for the extraordinary work they have done through the pandemic and of late in stepping up around the Christmas period for the booster vaccines. They have been absolutely incredible. There are capacity challenges facing general practice....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his question. He has raised one of the greatest challenges in the health service. It is a top priority for me and the Government. Before the Government was formed and Covid arrived, waiting lists were far too high across the board. They are still too high and very significant action is required. The 2022 waiting list action plan, which I will bring to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: Phil Ní Sheaghdha and I spoke yesterday about many of these issues. I will visit Limerick on Thursday when I will go directly to the hospital and meet the hospital group. The Deputy is right in identifying the ongoing pressures there in spite of investment, increased resources and a new emergency department. The pressure is still not acceptable in Limerick or in Galway and other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I largely agree with the Deputy. I had a high-level meeting with the HSE on exactly this matter in the past few days. There are still some issues related to Covid. One point the HSE raised with me was that about half the nursing homes have Covid outbreaks. We have a protocol in place whereby one must wait 28 days, two full cycles of Covid, before anyone can be discharged. As the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: This is one of the most pressing areas of the waiting lists. Children are waiting for orthopaedic surgery, whether spinal surgery or surgery for scoliosis, spina bifida, hip deformities or a range of other conditions. Some are being treated quickly, which is a great testament to our clinicians and health service, but far too many are having to wait for far too long. It is not acceptable...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I am aware that the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system makes a real difference to patients living with type 1 diabetes by enabling needle-free monitoring of blood sugars. Currently, access to the Freestyle Libre glucose monitoring system is available to children and young adults, aged 4 - 21 years. However, I want to ensure that the device is made available to all patients. Age...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The Programme for Government set out the pathway for expanded access to health care in keeping with the vision and ideals of Sláintecare. We promised to expand universal access to healthcare in a manner that is fair and affordable. We have delivered and are continuing to deliver on that commitment. The funding allocated to Health in Budget 2022 is the biggest ever investment package in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: COVID-19 is a new disease so information on it, its features, incidence and course are still emerging. My Department, and the HSE, continue to review new evidence, research and data as it emerges, internationally and nationally, to ensure care is in place for all adults and children who need it. As of midnight 8th Feb, 1,745 children with a confirmed case of COVID19 have been recorded on the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Thalidomide Victims Compensation (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: There are a number of cases concerning thalidomide before the High Court at present and it is not possible to comment on matters that are sub judice. However, the Government recognises that thalidomide survivors face challenges in everyday life related to their injuries. I am anxious to assure thalidomide survivors of the Government’s ongoing commitment to provide them with the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: NTPF data shows that Orthopaedics is the speciality with the largest number of patients waiting for in-patient/day case treatment. I have always advocated that Cappagh can be part of the solution to tackle waiting lists for adults and paediatrics. The HSE has advised that a proposal for a project to develop additional capacity at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh is currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for raising this important question about workers, including those who work in childcare, who supported the national effort over the past two years to meet the challenges of COVID-19. In recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: The National Independent Review Panel, NIRP, which is fully operational since 2018, is managed and directed by an independent chairperson and consists of independent panel members who have been appointed through a public appointment process. The NIRP has been established to enable the HSE to undertake independent reviews when things go seriously wrong involving people within the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this question and to acknowledge the tremendous work of staff in the provision of services in these hospitals over the years. The HSE Capital Plan 2022 is based on funding of €1.02bn, an increase of 4% on 2021. The plan provides for progression of projects across sector and across the country. In developing the Plan, the number of projects...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (15 Feb 2022)

Stephen Donnelly: I fully appreciate that hyperemesis, or severe sickness during pregnancy, is a debilitating condition for some women, and I am anxious that our health service should support women with this condition in every way possible. Improving women’s health outcomes is a key priority for me and this Government. We made a strong commitment to Promoting Women’s Health in the Programme for...