Results 32,801-32,820 of 46,095 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: From the Department's perspective, I will just give a few statistics. There are currently 23 GMS vacancies in the country as of 1 June. As there are 2,493 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS scheme, that is a relatively low percentage of vacancy. Less than 1% of the total number of GPs contracted to the GMS are vacant. The number of GMS patients associated with these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: That is correct

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The Chairman makes an entirely valid point, which returns us to our starting point on the need for a new contract to make general practice a more attractive profession.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: It was in the report rather than what I actually said. We will come back to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take them in the sequence in which they were asked. I believe Senator Dolan's questions are for the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: In response to Deputy O'Connell's question about the increase in the number of consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, doctors getting more regular work hours and sleep leads to an improvement in service, but the increase in NCHDs was largely to deal with the European Working Time Directive. The increase in the number of consultants is a separate and distinct issue that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: There was a commitment-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I was about to say in the next sentence that I want to acknowledge the work of Deputy Howlin who brought forward a Bill in an effort to progress this. He worked with the Department on it and this committee scrutinised the Bill on 30 March which recommended that it should not proceed to Committee Stage because we were going about the regulation of professions. I assure everybody that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: Okay. I will liaise-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: We will. The statutory scheme, the consultation process to which we are hoping to launch in the coming days, will begin to address that question. If working in a sector that is defined under law and structured, many questions will arise such as who regulates it, who can provide home help, and the qualifications and background needed. On the model 1, 2 and 3 hospital relationship, we are due...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: My apologies. I will undertake to examine to see if it is possible to analyse the public-private mix. That makes sense. The Chairman is entirely correct that the first tranche of National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, funding was for largely low-complexity, high-volume day case procedures. That is not the full extent of the fund's work this year and it is looking at including complex...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: We have to take every single opportunity to call out the people who consistently tell mistruths about this because it will cost people their lives. Every year approximately 300 women get cervical cancer and 100 will die. The HPV vaccination has been tested to within an inch of its life and is internationally recognised as saving lives. Due to misinformation and scaremongering being put out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: There was cross-party consensus.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Quarterly Update on Health Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: Most of the points made are for the HSE. I acknowledge that Deputy Durkan has consistently raised correctly the issue of the drug costs and that we should utilise our membership of the European Union in this regard. I could not agree more with him. I have attached a significant degree of importance to this since coming to office. In fact at the last meeting of European health Ministers in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 to 173, inclusive, 175 to 181, inclusive, and 184 together. As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 182 and 183 together. As the HSE is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to you in relation to the approved capital projects it has funded and their cost at University Hospital Limerick in 2016 and to date in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Agencies Data (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: In line with the Department of Expenditure and Reform's Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies all State Bodies under my aegis must comply with the Code and this includes compliance with tax laws and the requirements of the Revenue Commissioners. The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy specifically in relation to tax clearance certificates. As can...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 190, inclusive, together. In relation to the queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service issues, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (28 Jun 2017)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that waiting times are often unacceptably long and I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families. Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018. In order to reduce the numbers of...