Results 35,301-35,320 of 46,232 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines in the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. As Minister for Health I have no function in this statutory process. I am informed that the manufacturer has submitted an application to the HSE for reimbursement of Procysbi. As far...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disease Management (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis or LB) is an infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans by bites from ticks infected with the bacteria. The infection is generally mild affecting only the skin, but can occasionally be more severe. Lyme disease is the commonest cause of tick-borne infection in Europe. Lyme disease...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: A draft Waiting List Action Plan for Scoliosis has been submitted by the HSE to my Department. The draft action plan for Scoliosis includes both measures to increase capacity for scoliosis treatments in the children's hospitals and proposals for the outsourcing of procedures. Officials are currently reviewing and evaluating the plan and engagement is ongoing with the HSE and the NTPF towards...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 49 together. There are currently no plans to construct a regional hospital for the north east in Navan. The proposal that a regional hospital be developed in Navan originated in a report prepared for the HSE in 2008. This proposal was superseded by the Government's decision, in 2013, to re-organise acute hospitals into Hospital Groups. Our...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The introduction of GP care without fees to children under 6 represents a major step forward in improving access, quality and affordability of health care in Ireland. The under-6s GP service contract, which includes age-based preventive checks focused on health and well-being and a cycle of care for children with asthma, underlines the Government’s commitment to enhancing primary care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: In relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 53, 60 and 101 together. This Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient or daycase procedures and for outpatient appointments. During 2016, there has been evidence of a considerable increase in demand for health services, as our population grows and ages. In order to reduce the numbers of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 88 together. This Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient or daycase procedures and for outpatient appointments. During 2016, there has been evidence of a considerable increase in demand for health services, as our population grows and ages. In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated. The National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Beds Data (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors Remuneration (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The Living Out Allowance was abolished for new entrant non-consultant hospital doctors (Intern, Senior House Officer and Registrar grades) in 2012. Following the agreement reached last month the allowance will be incorporated in to the basic salary of these doctors from 1 July 2017. It is estimated that this will cost approximately €16 million in a full year and €8 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The issue of affordability and access to medicines is a major challenge for the Irish health service and for systems internationally. It is important that we take steps to ensure that a sustainable supply of medicines. This Government is committed to reducing the cost of medicines for Irish patients and a number of actions are currently reducing medicine costs. In relation to new...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated. The National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Orthodontic Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 69 together. This Government is committed to reducing waiting times for patients, both for patients waiting for inpatient or daycase procedures and for outpatient appointments. During 2016, there has been evidence of a considerable increase in demand for health services, as our population grows and ages. In order to reduce the numbers of long-waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure by 30 June 2017. In excess of 2,000 daycases will be managed through this process. The NTPF expects that patients will start to receive their appointments in March. The majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: I am advised that foetal anomaly scans are available in all Hospital Groups. Those hospitals/maternity units currently providing anomaly scans accept referrals from other maternity units, if requested. This occurs where the medical team in the referring maternity unit consider that an anomaly scan is clinically indicated. The National Maternity Strategy is very clear that all women must...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, an independent report undertaken by Dr Niall Herity recommended that the provision of PPCI services at UHW should cease, in order to allow the hospital to focus on the much larger volume of planned cath lab work. However, as I have made clear, before any changes are made to how a service is delivered, I want to establish how services are improved for the patients...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Electronic Health Records (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to improving the position of eHealth and ICT in the health delivery system as highlighted in the specific Programme for Partnership Government commitment where it is stated that “We will mandate the HSE to engage strategic partners to help with the planning, financing and roll-out of a 21st century ICT health infrastructure, working towards the universal use...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Harris: Performance of the public acute hospital sector must be considered within the context of the totality of hospital activity. Data reported in the HSE Performance Report October to December 2016, indicate that, up to the end of November 2016, while elective inpatient discharges had reduced by 1.6% in comparison with the same period in 2015, daycase discharges increased by 1.9%. In...