Results 25,161-25,180 of 46,036 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and €50 million was allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) in 2018 to provide treatment for patients. The recently launched Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan outlines the combined impact of HSE and NTPF activity in 2018 to reduce the number of patients waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Data (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. In recent years, public acute hospital inpatient / daycase activity has increased on a year-on-year basis.  In 2016, there was a 2% increase in inpatient/day-case activity over 2015, with almost 1.69 million patients receiving treatment in public hospitals, an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. While the Inpatient and Day Case (IPDC) Action Plan was published in April to address waiting times for IPDC procedures, the Outpatient waiting list remains a significant challenge to be addressed in 2018. There are currently 650 patients on the neurology...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 69 together. The planning and management of future health expenditure is considered as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process which seeks to balance available funding across all service areas to achieve the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritise areas of greatest need. The 2018 HSE National Service...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The successful delivery of the ambitious reform plans envisaged in the Sláintecare report will be a significant undertaking and needs to be translated into a detailed and phased programme of work to be delivered over a ten year timeframe. In this regard, my Department is currently finalising an implementation plan in response to the Sláintecare report, with a focus on the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Commencement of Legislation (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015  reforms and updates family law to address the needs of children living in diverse family types, the commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act is the responsibility of the Minister for Health. During the preparation of regulations to facilitate the commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act a number of technical drafting issues came...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The waiting list data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund for the end of May 2018 indicates that there were 395 people waiting for Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) gynaecology inpatient services, compared with 495 waiting in May 2017. Of these, 54% were waiting for less than 6 months, and 81% were waiting for less than 12 months.  The outpatient waiting list data for May...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department uses validated data from the HSE TrolleyGAR system to monitor the trolley situation in our Emergency Departments (EDs). This data is available from the HSE website. However, the INMO independently collate data on trolleys and wards beds. The INMO Trolley and Ward Watch figures are available at the INMO website. The HSE TrolleyGAR data...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department uses validated data from the HSE TrolleyGAR system to monitor the trolley situation in our EDs. This data is available on the HSE website. However, the INMO independently collate data on trolleys and wards beds. The INMO Trolley and Ward Watch figures are available at the INMO website. The HSE TrolleyGAR data is collected each day at 8am every...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. While the Inpatient and Day Case (IPDC) Action Plan was published in April to address waiting times for IPDC procedures, the outpatient waiting list remains a significant challenge to be addressed in 2018. There are currently 2,664 patients on the neurology...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reform (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Sláintecare report makes a number of recommendations in relation to improving health service structures, governance and accountability, including the establishment of a governing board for the HSE and the establishment of regional bodies to support the delivery of integrated care. A range of actions are already underway in response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. In order to address the issue of growing outpatient waiting list numbers, my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are in the process of finalising an Outpatient Action Plan for 2018. This plan will support the HSE’s compliance with its National Service Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Products Regulatory Authority (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Misoprostol and mifepristone are both classified as prescription-only medicines in Ireland and may only be supplied on foot of a valid prescription. A prescription-only medicine should be taken only when it has been prescribed for an individual by their medical practitioner, or other appropriate health professional, who has taken the person’s medical history into account. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: My Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are engaging in ongoing dialogue on the Health Service Executives performance year to date with consideration of the implications for outturn for the year. These discussions are still progressing and until they are concluded my Department is not in a position to determine the final figures that may be required.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The public health service is comprised of many grades and professions who are engaged in a broad range of activities to ensure the delivery of quality, safe health services to the population. The introduction of new grades or professions is a complex matter, requiring careful consideration and planning, prior to any decisions being taken, particularly in relation to clinical roles. In...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: Prescribing of cannabis for medical treatment by medical consultants, for their individual patients, is facilitated via Ministerial Licence. Irish-based medical practitioners who wish to prescribe cannabis products containing THC may apply to me as Minister for Health for a licence under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.  The CMO has advised me that the granting of such a licence...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Respite Care Services (28 Jun 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: Health Services Staff Recruitment (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Health Business Services (HBS) Recruit function in the HSE has established recruitment working groups with HSE Occupational Therapy Managers, Principal Psychology Managers, Physiotherapy Managers and Speech & Language Therapy Managers. The purpose of these working groups is to provide a collaborative, profession-led approach to the recruitment of these grades within the HSE. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: The Scally Inquiry, which the Government established on 08 May 2018, is examining all aspects of CervicalCheck, and all relevant documents within the Department and the HSE. As part of the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry, Dr Scally will examine the tendering, contracting, operation, conflict of interest arrangements, performance information and performance management, accreditation and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Harris: In the light of the conclusions of the Health Service Capacity Review that the system will need nearly 2,600 additional acute hospital beds by 2031, I have asked my Department to work with the HSE to identify the location and mix of beds across the hospital system which can be opened and staffed this year and into 2019 in order to improve preparedness for Winter 2018/2019. A submission...