Results 26,641-26,660 of 46,081 for speaker:Simon Harris
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: This is the information on the CervicalCheck website this evening:Q4: Can I get a repeat cervical screening, before my next test is due? The Minister for Health has announced that women can have a repeat cervical screening if they wish to do so. We will set this up shortly and will post details on cervicalcheck.ie as soon as possible. Please bear in mind that cervical screening tests cannot...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I am fully committed to open disclosure. A patient should always have a right to be provided with honest, open and prompt communication. That is already underpinned in the medical practitioners' code of conduct which is not exactly a flimsy document but I accept it does not happen on the ground and we have seen that in recent days. The idea was that in a Civil Liability (Amendment) Act...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I received the latest information before coming into the Chamber: 113 women had been contacted and offered appointments. I want every woman to be contacted very quickly and will provide a further update on the numbers tomorrow. I understand there may be difficulty contacting some people. I am not excusing that.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I see validity in a HIQA inquiry. It has a track record, has built up significant expertise and has statutory underpinning. Under section 9(2) of the Health Act 2007 it has done a lot of good work, when it had those "teeth", for example, on the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, and the death of Savita Halappanavar. In respect of Portlaoise it not only produced a report but was then...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I am informed by the Department that in the US a one-year smear is recommended but that is because it does not have an organised population-based health programme like ours. Many people in the US can be screened too often. It is similar to what happened here in the bad old days before we had a population-based programme, with some people being screened too often and some not screened often...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I have no access to that information. It is a question we could usefully explore. Why did some doctors decide they should tell the women and others put it on the file. When the serious incident management team was sent into CervicalCheck there was an expectation that the majority of doctors would have disclosed. I recall saying publicly in those days that expectation was not good enough in...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: Instinctively I agree with the Deputy. I would like to see our own laboratories develop and be able to provide these services. I was not around in the political sphere, nor was Deputy Harty, in 2008 when these decisions were made. My understanding from reading back through the debate at the time is there was a view we did not have the capacity in the country. I note from CervicalCheck's...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: One day when I am not in the middle of trying to sort out a very serious health crisis that is worrying women right up and down the length and breadth of this country, I will come back and debate my record on women's health with the Deputy anywhere and at any time, and I look forward to that opportunity. Today my priority, rather than scoring political points, is trying to establish the...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I note the Deputy's comments. I fundamentally disagree with his comments and I intend to continue to do my job and discharge my duties to the best of my ability.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: That is the Deputy's-----
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: Thankfully it is a democracy we live in and not a world dictated to by the Deputy. The people will decide my fortunes and the fortunes of every Member of the House.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I am democratically elected.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: Deputy Collins raises a very important point about making sure when we are looking at the CervicalCheck programme that we also look at the implications for any other screening programme. I thank the Deputy for raising that important issue. Deputy Donnelly raised it with me yesterday. We will include in the scope of any review or investigation that we carry out, an examination of the...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I did answer it earlier but I am more than happy to answer it again because it is a very important question. I was advised by the Chief Medical Officer very shortly before I came into the Chamber this evening that the work of the serious incident management team, SIMT, the team that has been based in CervicalCheck looking through all of this issue, looking through the audits and ascertaining...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I am informed there is no mechanism by which this information is given to a Department from the State Claims Agency.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I have no intention of engaging in theoretics. That I have asked the State Claims-----
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I do not want to take the time but I want to try to answer the question. The NTMA is the State body which operates with a commercial remit to provide asset and liability management services to Government and it is designated as the State Claims Agency when it is performing claims and risk management functions. The NTMA reports directly to the Minister for Finance in the performance of its...
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I know but the Deputy does not wish my answer to be put on the record.
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: I am in the hands of the House but there is no need for this to be adversarial. I am not in any rush, if there is a few extra-----
- National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements (1 May 2018)
Simon Harris: If there is extra time needed, I have no difficulty with that being provided here. Deputies are asking me important questions-----