Results 38,941-38,960 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

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 This proposal was superseded by the Government's decision, in 2013, to re-organise acute hospitals into Hospital Groups.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.

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

Simon Harris: Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is a constituent hospital of the Ireland East Hospital Group. Hospital Groups must increasingly focus on networks of service provision with smaller hospitals managing routine, urgent or planned care locally, more complex care managed in the larger hospitals and better linkages with primary, continuing and social care. The future of Navan hospital is as a...

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 and Social Care Professionals (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that I will be implementing in full the decisions taken earlier this year by my predecessor, Leo Varadkar T.D., that the titles of physiotherapist and physical therapist would be protected under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 and that there would be only one register for the profession. This was welcomed by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. ...

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: Hospital Accommodation Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: Galway University Hospitals comprise of University Hospital Galway (UHG), a model 4 tertiary referral centre, and Merlin Park Hospital, a model 2 hospital, both located in the city of Galway. A number of significant projects have been completed in UHG in recent years. These include the Clinical Research Facility, the upgrade of the Maternity Unit and the CF out-patient department. In...

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

Simon Harris: The Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act, 1995 defines the conditions under which information relating to abortion services lawfully available in another state might be made available in Ireland. Sections (3) and (5) of the 1995 Act provide that information on termination of pregnancy must be "..truthful and objective" , section (10)...

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

Simon Harris: To date, the HSE has reported a year-on-year increase of approximately 5% in Emergency Department attendances. Despite increased demand, there has been a decrease of almost 5% in numbers of patients waiting on trolleys. My Department, working with the HSE, has been driving a range of integrated initiatives to alleviate overcrowding in EDs, including: reducing attendances by expanding...

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

Simon Harris: The establishment of Hospital Groups represents a very significant reform of our hospital services. As I have stated previously, I intend to continue to implement Hospital Groups on an administrative basis. An Oireachtas All-Party Committee has been established to develop a single long-term vision for healthcare over a 10 year period. It is important that those discussions are...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 489 together. The HSE National Service Plan 2016 commits to the planning and development of equitable access to antenatal anomaly screening in all maternity units in the context of emerging maternity networks. In addition, the National Maternity Strategy is clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. The Strategy...

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

Simon Harris: The National Women & Infants Health Programme will lead the implementation of Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016-2026. The Programme will lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services, across primary, community and secondary care, strengthening such services by bringing together work...

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

Simon Harris: The National Ambulance Service has undergone a programme of modernisation in recent years and a number of significant service innovations and developments have taken place. These developments will continue in 2017 with increased funding which will be available to the National Ambulance Service for 2017. With regard to the specific enquiry raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter...

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

Simon Harris: In May, the HSE granted approval to the Hospital Groups to recruit an additional 100 midwives. The allocation of these midwives was informed by the findings of the Birth Rate Plus midwifery workforce project. In relation to the specific query raised, 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...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (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: Speech and Language Therapy Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Simon Harris: The Government recognises that waiting lists for speech and language therapy have been very difficult for families. To address this, €4 million was provided under the HSE’s National Service Plan 2016 to specifically focus on speech and language therapy waiting lists in Primary Care and Social Care for children up to 18 years old. This investment represents a long-term...