Results 26,401-26,420 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I will revert to the Deputy specifically on a time limit. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK, along with the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, have been asked to audit all of those files, and that work is about to commence.

Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Kenny for the question. If he wants to send me the details as a specific case, I would be happy to ask the HSE to look into it. In general, the Government is both increasing staffing levels and funding to the health service following on from the moratorium put in place by previous Governments.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Remuneration (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In 2015, my Department completed a review of the appropriate salary levels for the CEOs of Section 38 funded agencies, in conjunction with the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The review came about as a result of a recommendation made in the HSE’s Internal Audit Report on remuneration of senior managers in Section 38 agencies.  This recommendation...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Elective orthopaedic services are provided at Merlin Park Hospital.  The Deputy will be aware that in September 2017, leaks developed in the roof of the building that houses the two orthopaedic theatres at Merlin Park Hospital. This necessitated the closure of both theatres in the interest of patient safety. The Saolta University Healthcare Group, with a view to retaining...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that Outpatient waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families. Each year 3.3 million patients attend Hospital Outpatient clinics for appointments, with demand for services growing year-on-year. A key component of the management of waiting lists by hospitals is the categorisation of patients by...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Equipment (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Saolta University Health Care Group has advised that an equipment failure in recent weeks has impacted the X-Ray Walk-In Service at Roscommon University Hospital.  Normally, GPs refer patients with non-injury related conditions directly to this Walk-In Service.  To facilitate partial continuation of the service, the hospital has leased mobile x-ray equipment on a temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I am determined that the best result will be delivered for the affected women and their families.  Therefore, it is essential to establish the facts and to agree the actions needed to address the issues raised by the Deputy. It is also important to restore the trust and confidence of women in CervicalCheck.  An independent Scoping Inquiry is being...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (29 May 2018)

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In the context of a difficult winter for our health services, exacerbated by the adverse weather associated with Storm Emma, the first four months of the year saw a higher overall level of trolleys nationally, up 13.9%, as compared with the same period last year. This increase reflects a rise in demand for unscheduled care, characterised by increased attendances and admissions,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Following an independent review of the need for a second cath lab in University Hospital Waterford, the Herity report concluded that the needs of the effective catchment population for Waterford University Hospital could be accommodated within a single cath lab. Funding has been provided to support extension of the existing cath lab operating hours to 12 weekly sessions per week, or by 20%,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Question Heading (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 67, 115, 123 and 426 together. The Government is committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services, especially in remote rural areas and also in disadvantaged urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future. I want to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As at 24 May 21,228 calls had been received by the CervicalCheck helpline, 11,341 women had requested callbacks and 10.382 women had received callbacks. The rate of call back has been steadily improving and as of 24 May stood at 92 per cent. There is a process of checking records, checking data quality and assigning the callback to a health professional, and the Serious Incident...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Referendum Campaigns (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 117 and 423 together. As the Deputies will be aware, on Friday 25 May 2018 the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of deleting Article 40.3.3 in its entirety, and substituting an article in the Constitution, the object and effect of which is to articulate clearly the principle that laws may be enacted by the Oireachtas to provide for the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Delays (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: Improving waiting times for hospital procedures and outpatient appointments is a key commitment in the programme for Government. It is acknowledged that outpatient waiting lists are a challenge which need to be addressed. The development of a sustainable and safe paediatric orthopaedic service, including scoliosis services for children and young people has been prioritised in the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In the context of a difficult winter for our health services, further compounded by Storm Emma, the first four months of the year saw a  higher level of trolleys nationally, up 13.9%, as compared to the same period in 2017. This increase reflects a rise in demand for unscheduled care across the hospital system, characterised by increased attendances and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: In the context of a difficult winter for our health services, further compounded by Storm Emma, the first 4 months of the year saw a rise of 13.9% of patients on trolleys nationally, as compared to the same period in 2017.  This reflects a rise in demand for unscheduled care across the hospital system, characterised by increased attendances and admissions, especially of those in the over...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Occupational Therapy Waiting Lists (29 May 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 Planning (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: I am committed to securing and further developing the role of the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise as a constituent hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hopsital Group.  Since 2014, the focus has been on supporting the hospital to develop and enhance management capability, implementing changes required to address clinical service deficiencies, and incorporating the hospital into the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments Services (29 May 2018)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, a new Emergency Department was opened at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on the 29th of May 2017.  The €24 million development aimed to provide UHL with increased capacity for emergency medicine to meet the demands of population growth, changing service models and to improve efficiency targets.  UHL was identified as a focus site...