Results 8,541-8,560 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Seanad: Bed Capacity at National Rehabilitation Hospital: Statements (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State. I fully accept that this is always a major challenge. My colleague is right about the need for long-term planning. The standard is 60 beds per 1 million population. Therefore, in real terms, we do not have a sufficient number of beds. About 20 years ago there was a proposal to develop a unit in Cork. We need to consider the long-term. I agree with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. The witnesses referred to 15 laboratories in the mid-1980s. My understanding is that there are now two laboratories in Ireland that do this work. Are there other laboratories doing other medical analysis that could take on some of this work if they got the staff? What is the position relating to laboratories overall in the country if we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: Yes, but 95% of that area that is being looked at. I am open to correction on this, but the tests would not pick up womb cancer for example. This information needs to be classified.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: That analysis relates to the screening programme being done. It does not deal with other issues around other cancers. The misinformation out there is very much that once a person gets a clear smear and a clear result she is totally clear and does not have to worry about it for three years, whereas there are other cancers that the tests may not identify. Would the witness agree with this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I also raised the issue of the 5%. We are now into the whole area of litigation. The witnesses have referred to the 95% where it will be identified but there is 5% where it may not be identified, for one reason or another. If this arises through subsequent audits and reviews where readings were incorrect, as in this case, how do witnesses propose that this is dealt with?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: How does the witness propose to deal with the cases where everyone has worked to their absolute best in dealing with smears and the analysis, and for some reason or another an issue is not identified and we are into a litigation situation? How do we deal with this in the long term? It is now a challenge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: On the cervical screening programme, I understand there is a 7% reduction in cervical cancer each year for the last four years. If HPV testing is introduced, what kind of reduction can be expected in cervical cancer? How long do we need to have it up and running before we can see really positive results?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank all of the witnesses for their presentations this morning and for the work they do. How much does BreastCheck cost per annum? It is important that we have that figure for comparison purposes now that we have litigation. I listened to Professor Hill comments, especially the worry that screening programmes may have to be closed down to reduce the level of litigation, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Cancer Screening Programmes: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Colm Burke: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I join my colleagues in conveying my sympathies to the families who have suffered a loss over the past week. It is a difficult time for them and for all of the people directly or indirectly involved in the events of the past seven days. It is important that we pay tribute to everyone involved in helping, including the Garda, those who volunteered to assist the Garda, and those who gave...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (17 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State and welcome her to the House. I am raising the issue of the refurbishment of community hospitals in the Cork area, particularly Millstreet Community Hospital and Kanturk Community Hospital. They provide an essential service in the communities of Kanturk and Millstreet but there are also other community hospitals around the county. People are concerned about...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (17 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. We will have major challenges in the whole area of healthcare because of changing demographics. As the Minister of State is aware, the number of people over 65 is currently 637,000 and within ten years will be 1 million. Therefore, we will have huge demand and will need to dramatically increase the amount of care being provided in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products Regulation (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and appreciate his taking the time to deal with this matter. As he is aware, I am a member of the Joint Committee on Health. We produced a report on orphan drugs, in particular trying to fast-track the process and bring more certainty at an earlier stage. I understand that the assessment process for many drugs here takes, on average, 23 months...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products Regulation (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: The European Medicines Agency approves drugs and we then seem to go through a process which takes over two years. That is causing a lot of frustration for people who could benefit if the drugs were available, as well as those carrying out research and development. That is why the report sets out clear recommendations. I ask that the Minister of State and the Department examine the report's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: I thank the delegation for attending this morning. With regard to dealing with CervicalCheck, I have a number of questions about the clinicians at the front line. My understanding, on which I would like clarification, is that they were not advised of the clinical audit taking place and that they were not involved in it. Second, the first they heard of the clinical audit was when they got...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: If one looks at the letters exchanged between Gráinne Flannelly and Kevin Hickey, however, they highlighted that there were concerns. Going back to pre-June 2016, my information is that the clinicians were not engaged in the audit process or were not made aware that there was an audit process in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: Could it be checked?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: This is important because these are the people on the front line. The information I received is to the effect that the first they heard of the audit process was to be notified of the cases of patients where errors were made in the reading of the slides initially. They were now being asked to deal with this issue. That is my information. I am just wondering if that can be checked because I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Colm Burke: On 1 September 2017, there was a meeting of clinicians at which concerns were raised. Was Dr. O'Keeffe aware of that meeting and of the concerns being raised?