Results 28,021-28,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I said it is available in every region, not in every hospital. There is a difference. Trying to do everything in all 47 hospitals around the country does not produce better clinical outcomes. In fact, it can produce inferior outcomes.

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The best thing we can do is think about the health service differently and make sure that patients are, first, treated from the moment they get into an ambulance, which is done a lot in other countries, and, second-----

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: -----that they get to the most appropriate centre as quickly as possible, which might not necessarily always be the nearest centre. If someone has a major trauma, he or she needs to go to a trauma hospital that has a trauma orthopaedic surgeon. We must begin to think differently about where ambulances take people in order that they go to the right hospital, not necessarily the nearest one....

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Absolutely not. That is not correct.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Data (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: It is important to note that a significant proportion of medical and dental staff, in particular non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, are employed on a training rotation on fixed-term contracts. Most NCHDs are therefore recorded as being temporary employees. In total, approximately 5,000 NCHDs are employed on fixed term or specified purpose contracts or almost 65% of medical and dental...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Data (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: With the greatest respect to the Deputy, he is conflating two different issues, namely, agency staff and permanent contracts. There are 2,600 consultants in the system, 2,200 of whom are permanent staff and 295 dentists, of whom 275 are permanent. The vast majority of consultant and dentist staff are permanent but of the 5,000 non-consultant hospital doctors only 66 are permanent, the reason...

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Understandably, in health, we always talk about what is going wrong but the national clinical stroke programme is an example of something that has gone well and is now used as an example in other countries as to what can be done. I am checking up on those seven pieces of equipment. I am not sure the Deputy's assertion is true. They could be...

Other Questions: National Stroke Programme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I assume it is. I will double-check that for the Deputy. I suspect probably a little more is being spent than that. I am a big fan of early supported discharge. It makes a lot of sense to get patients home more quickly to do their rehabilitation at home and that produces better clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, like a lot of savings posited in health care, it is not quite that simple....

Other Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Women do not have to waive their right to take a case to court as a precondition of participating in the scheme. One can opt out of the scheme at any stage up to the point at which one accepts one's award. It is only on accepting an offer that a women must agree to discontinue her legal proceedings against any party arising out of a symphysiotomy or pubiotomy. Significant disability means...

Other Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The scheme has been designed to ensure it will be simple and not cumbersome, and will not require further medical examinations, unless absolutely necessary, or people having to testify in court or produce records that may no longer exist. I refer to all the difficulties that may come with a court case. The process is designed to be simple and straightforward. It was very much designed in...

Other Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I certainly agree with the Deputy that it is a matter for the individual women to decide whether they want to avail of the scheme or pursue a court case. There is a 20-day limit but that can actually be extended. There is a provision to allow for it to be extended if the applicant can give a reason for the delay in making the application. Ms Maureen Harding Clark will be as flexible as she...

Other Questions: Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to announce that the surgical symphysiotomy payment scheme commenced yesterday, 10 November 2014. The Government has agreed that the scheme will also include payments for the small number of women who have undergone a pubiotomy. The scheme is designed to be simple, straightforward and non-adversarial and aims to minimise the stress for the women concerned. Many of the women...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: No.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Clinical and operational standards for ambulance services in Ireland are set by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. PHECC registers pre-hospital practitioners - emergency medical technicians, paramedics and advanced paramedics – to practise in Ireland, and conducts fitness to practise proceedings. As the competent authority for Ireland, PHECC sets education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: As part of the Estimates process, my Department and the HSE considered the demands in all services, including acute hospital services and the issue of waiting lists. The elimination of waiting lists would entail very significant additional resources, including capital developments. It is not currently possible to provide a comprehensive total of the funding required. Over the last ten...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Treatment Abroad Scheme (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The Treatment Abroad Scheme, operated by the Health Service Executive, provides for the referral of patients to another EU/EEA country or Switzerland for a treatment not available in Ireland or where undue delay is experienced in accessing necessary treatment in Ireland. Under the Scheme, the HSE provides for the cost of approved treatments abroad through the issue of form E112. Where an...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: According to the HSE's most recently published data, the total number of patients on in-patient and day case waiting lists at the end of August 2014 was 53,431. This is an increase of 3,736 or 7.5% on August 2013. In August 2014 the number of patients waiting in excess of 12 months for an outpatient appointment has decreased from 84,167 to 41,604, a reduction of 51% when comparing the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Cover (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: Following a long period of rising premiums and a severe decline in health insurance numbers, the number of policy holders is now showing modest growth, with an increase of 1,000 in the number insured between July and September 2014. I recently announced a series of measures which I hope will contribute to a continuation of this trend. The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014, which I will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Reports (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: I believe that it is vitally important that we restore public confidence in the quality of maternity services at Portlaoise and steps have already been taken to do so. Following the publication of the Chief Medical Officer's Report into perinatal deaths in Portlaoise the Health Service Executive established an Implementation Group to oversee and ensure the recommendations of the Report are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (11 Nov 2014)

Leo Varadkar: The approved revenue allocation for Beaumont Hospital in 2014 is €236 million, an increase of €3 million over 2013. Beaumont Hospital has a continuous quality improvement programme in place to improve and enhance the services it delivers to its patients. Hospital management works on an ongoing basis with relevant Divisions in the HSE in respect of funding for major capital...