Results 7,801-7,820 of 12,402 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank all our witnesses. I join Mr. McCallion in expressing sympathy to the family and friends of Ms Laura Brennan. She did absolutely fantastic campaigning work at a time in her life most of us would not have been at all able to do so. She took on the mantle and will always be remembered for the great work she did. I am struggling with this. I wish to discuss the pathway of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: It is very clear that what brought the pressure into the programme was the tweet from the Minister, notwithstanding the fact that no homework was done and no effort was made to address any of these concerns, that all women were offered an out-of-cycle test to reassure them. Clearly, he was acting against advice given to people in his Department. As the senior person in the HSE, what does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. McCallion would not have a view about that advice being ignored.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: We all understand the context but now we are dealing with a massive backlog. Women are waiting because of a decision that was taken to offer repeat smear tests without doing any homework whatsoever. We now find that, contrary to what the Minister said, advice was given. I am trying to understand how that advice would make its way from the HSE to the Department of Health. Mr. McCallion is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Would Mr. McCallion be happy that the advice given in the submission was relayed to the Department in any event? Dr. Flannelly clearly says that Mr. O'Hanlon relayed it. Would Mr. McCallion be happy that the advice made its way there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Okay. What is the current backlog rate? Can Mr. McCallion provide us with information on the difference in wait times for those who are paying for it privately and public patients?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Three for the Coombe and seven for Quest Diagnostics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: However, if one pays privately one can get it turned around in three weeks, but if one is a public patient one can wait up to 33 weeks. It is very worrying that the capacity seems to exist for those who have the money. With regard to the extensive efforts being made to source capacity overseas, Mr. McCallion referred to quality assurance. Does that involve on-site visits?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am sorry to interrupt, but will those on-site visits take place before or after the contracts are signed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am talking about the additional capacity. We can go back over the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Will the contracts be signed first and then the QA will happen, as is clearly happening with the on-site visits at present because these people are under contract? My question was in reference to the efforts to source additional capacity. Mr. McCallion referred to the ongoing negotiations. Will there be an on-site visit before contracts are signed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: This scandal is evolving and there is a drip feed of information to the media. We now know that samples are expiring and that patients will have to be recalled, in connection to which 1,000 women received letters recently. Does Mr. McCallion anticipate that there will be more recalls of that nature or is he on top of the situation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Given the size of the backlog, the numbers are going to be high.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Can Mr. McCallion give me an idea of the number?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. McCallion stated the HSE examined the option of temporarily suspending the programme for women who are not symptomatic. I refer to those women who get their letter to go for a routine smear test in the normal course of the programme. The HSE, however, is not going to suspend the programme because it believes it is going to source capacity from these additional laboratories once quality...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I was referring to a suspension for that group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: There was reference earlier to how this decision was taken and what exactly was offered to women. I took the liberty of checking on Twitter. The Minister tweeted: Have heard from many women today who have had smear tests & would like a repeat test to reassure them. Am arranging for this facility to be available & the State will meet the cost of the repeat test....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: The same personnel are still involved. Is Dr. Doherty concerned that advice she might give will be ignored? That appears to be what happened with her predecessor.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am asking a different question. Is Dr. Doherty concerned that the advice of her predecessor was ignored? Does that give her cause for concern in her current position? I have to say that if I was in Dr. Doherty's position, it would give me cause for concern. Her predecessor was a qualified person and was definitely capable of giving that advice. In her current role, given what happened,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Apr 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I dearly wish I shared Dr. Doherty's confidence. I have some very brief questions. I checked on social media for the tweet that was referred to. I saw a tweet from Mr. Stephen Teap reminding us that we should focus not only on the past but on the future. In that regard, what is the status of the steering committee? I know some of its members are concerned that efforts are being made to...