Results 6,321-6,340 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Health Service Staff. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: That is entirely a matter for the procurement service within the HSE. No contract will be signed unless general practitioners are involved as the Deputy knows as well as I do.

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 94 together. The working group on arthritis and related conditions was established by the HSE in 2006. The group's report is expected to be completed shortly and will be then considered by the HSE senior management team. It is intended that the work of the group will inform the future planning and delivery of services for people suffering from...

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I agree there is a major deficit in rheumatology services. Among the reasons for that is that while we have a large number of doctors, there is an overemphasis on junior doctors with too few consultant posts. If we could get the ratio right, the amount we are spending would cover the cost of consultant appointments. As a result of the new consultants' contract, we are in the process of...

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I take responsibility for reports I commission but not for those commissioned by others. Under the Deputy's grand plan, responsibility will be handed over to insurance companies and taken out of ministerial control and, therefore, I will not take a lecture on that.

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The Deputy referred to the average working time of consultants. The majority of consultants in the public hospital system work considerably longer hours that he says. They work way beyond their contractual commitment, which is 37 hours. The new team approach with a clinical director will ensure hospitals are appropriately covered. Safe care cannot be delivered through the manner in which...

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: A number will be filled this year. I cannot say whether that will happen in July, August, September or October. I am not in a position to give the Deputy that information.

Health Services. (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: Yes.

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 105 together. Emergency ambulance services in Dublin have been provided by Dublin Fire Brigade for many years on behalf of the Health Service Executive. Ambulance services in the rest of the country are provided by the HSE. The HSE reimburses Dublin City Council for the cost of providing ambulance services, based on a formula covering pay costs,...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 44 and 132 together. The aim of the co-location initiative is to make available additional beds for public patients in public acute hospitals through the transfer of private activity to co-located private hospitals. While the co-location initiative is an efficient means of delivering extra bed capacity, it is a complex process. The funding environment has...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: Up to the start of this year, medical card and GP visit card applications were processed in the 32 local health areas. However, under the Health Service Executive's 2009 Service Plan, the processing of all medical card and GP visit card applications will transfer to the Executive's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) in Dublin. The change is being implemented on a phased basis and has...

Written Answers — Cancer Screening Programme: Cancer Screening Programme (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 98 together. In April 2007, the National Cancer Screening Service Board (NCSS) established an Expert Advisory Group to study the medical and scientific evidence concerning Screening for Colorectal Cancer and to make recommendations to the Board about the desirability of introducing a population-based screening programme. The Board of the NCSS approved...

Written Answers — Health Insurance: Health Insurance (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The terms of the Interim Scheme comprising of a levy on private health insurance companies for each insured person and age related fixed sum tax relief for insured persons of 50 years of age and over, as provided for in the Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2008, were notified to the European Commission in November 2008. My Department has since provided additional information...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 133 together. The most recent medical card and GP visit card figures provided to my Department by the Health Service Executive (HSE) reflect the position on 31st March 2009. The total number of medical card holders on 31st March 2009 was 1,370,764 and the total number of GP visit card holders on that date was 87,277. Accordingly, 32.97% of the national...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 39 and 55 together. A Standards Advisory Group was established by HIQA to develop National Quality Standards on Residential Services for People with Disabilities. The Group comprised officials of HIQA, my Department, the HSE, service providers, organisations representing people with disabilities and service users, and met on a number of occasions during...

Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The use of private ambulance services has traditionally been a component of how public ambulance services are provided, by augmenting the service mainly at patient transport level. This arrangement ensures that the resources of the Health Service Executive can be applied more appropriately to respond to emergency and urgent calls. The HSE has put in place a national contract to replace the...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: Last year, hospital Emergency Departments treated 1.15 million people, of which 368,000 were admitted to hospital. In 2005 the average number of patients on trolleys awaiting admission each day was 259. The average to date in 2009 is down to 141, and figures to date in May show a further reduction to 116. Data collected by the HSE over recent months indicates that the vast majority of those...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 52 together. Seasonal bed closures are a normal feature of the hospital system, as a means of maximising efficiency when demand is lower - for example, during holiday periods - and to facilitate periodic refurbishment or decorating work. Beds may also be closed from time to time in order to control expenditure, given the need for every hospital to...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has assigned overall co-ordinating responsibility for this matter to the Area Manager for Consumer Affairs in the North East area who is available to liaise with former patients or support groups. An arrangement for the provision of professional counselling support services has been put in place by the HSE for former patients of the person concerned. The...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The HSE has made financial provision within its 2009 Service Plan for the recruitment of additional consultants, including appointments under the 100 plus scheme. In line with the new contractual arrangements agreed with Medical Consultants and to provide for a consultant delivered service, the number of hospital consultants will be increased but there will need to be compensatory savings by...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (21 May 2009)

Mary Harney: The Review in question was commissioned by the Health Service Executive in order to inform plans for the organisation and delivery of adult critical care services within the acute hospital system. I understand that the report is being finalised at present. A decision on publication will be made when the report is completed.