Results 38,581-38,600 of 46,232 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Recruitment (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 63, 396 and 560 together. Nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention is a priority for the health service. There are many initiatives currently underway to improve staffing levels throughout the country. The HSE is offering permanent posts to 2016 degree programme graduates, and full time permanent contracts to those in temporary posts. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 100 together. A key challenge for our health system is ensuring that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those patients waiting longest. In August I tasked the Office of the HSE Chief Information Officer with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Under the Health Act, 1970, medical cards are provided to persons who are, in the opinion of the HSE, unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their dependents and every application must be assessed on that basis. In accordance with the Act, the assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means, including the income and expenditure,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Scoliosis affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents in Ireland. The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity. Long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are not acceptable, and my Department has been working closely with the HSE to address services pressures, particularly in Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 80 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for a Partnership Government committed to the development of a second Cath Lab in University Hospital Waterford, (UHW) subject to a favourable recommendation from an independent clinical review of the needs of the region. The review was undertaken by Dr Niall Herity, a highly respected, Belfast...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. A new four-year Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines was signed in July 2016 with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) which is expected to deliver approximately €600 million in savings over the lifetime of the Agreement. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The Primary Care Eye Services Review Group, which was established by the HSE, is currently finalising an implementation plan to support its review. The overall aim of the Review Group is to shift the management of many eye conditions from acute care services to primary care and community services, as appropriate. The Government is committed to updating the national eye care plan,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to deciding whether to reimburse a medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Expenditure (18 Oct 2016)

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 to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 95 together. A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hepatitis C Compensation Payments (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I understand that a group of women who received infectious, or potentially infectious, Anti-D Immunoglobulin in two periods (between 1977 and 1979 and between 1991 and 1994) and who tested negative for Hepatitis C are seeking access to claim compensation from the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal and to be awarded HAA cards. The Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal (Amendment) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 126 together. Patient safety and outcomes must come first. There have been a number of reports on Portlaoise Hospital in recent years. These reports pointed to the need for reconfiguration of some services to ensure that patients are treated in the most appropriate setting by specialist staff that can safely meet their needs. Since 2014 the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Treatment Purchase Fund Waiting Times (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: A key challenge for our health system is to ensure that patients have timely access to health services, in light of increasing demand. This Government is committed to a sustained focus on improving wait times, particularly for those waiting longest. While the numbers on waiting lists are undoubtedly too high, the key issue is how long people are waiting. According to the September waiting...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Building Programme (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: 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 Lady’s Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Expenditure (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The use of biotechnology in the pharmaceutical field has led to the development of many new biological medicines, offering new treatments for a range of serious illnesses. The manufacturing of a biological medicine is a complex process. Biosimilar medicines are similar but not identical to their reference biological medicines, and therefore are not considered in the same way as generic...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (18 Oct 2016)

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.