Results 9,681-9,700 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 46 and 110 together. The HSE launched a National Infection Control Action Plan in March 2007. An Infection Control Steering Group is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan. Over the next five years, the HSE aims to reduce HCAIs by 20%, MRSA infections by 30% and antibiotic consumption by 20%. Achievement of these targets will benefit...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I am aware of recent issues which have arisen regarding the "Hospital in the Home" service. One of the key challenges facing the health service is the need to ensure that services are planned and provided in line with the clinical needs of the patient. A number of experimental initiatives have been put in place by the Health Service Executive with a view to providing care in community based...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 43 together. My priority is to provide safe services as close as possible to where people live. The best way of retaining and developing services at Roscommon and Portiuncula hospitals is for both hospitals to work together. In the past, these two hospitals operated independently with two consultant general surgeons in each hospital. Advances in...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: In a response to a perceived shortage in various therapy occupations, a report, entitled the Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Health Professional Therapists (the Bacon Report) was commissioned in 2000. It was published in early 2001. The Bacon Report recommended an expansion of physiotherapy undergraduate course places from 120 to 145. My...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive is capable of delivering a comprehensive health service. It is essential that the Executive concentrates on delivering safe, cost-effective services from within its existing very substantial resource base. The services and targets to be provided by the HSE in 2008 are set out in the national service plan, which I approved in November 2007 and the addendum to the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 40 together. The key objective of the Primary Care Strategy is to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, home helps and others. It is clear that the membership of primary care teams and networks are drawn from existing professional and other staff...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 77 together. The Oireachtas has voted a budget for the HSE for 2008 from resources provided by taxpayers. This allocation is an increase of 8% on the 2007 outturn of the HSE. Allowing for various once-off factors, the underlying increase amounts to 9%. By any standard, national or international, that is a high level of increase for a national health...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I do not agree that a culture of acceptance of trolley waits exists. There have been considerable improvements in the delivery of services in Emergency Departments over the past two years, largely as a consequence of the intensive focus which has been put on this area. One indicator of improvement is the reduction in the average daily number of patients awaiting admission from 179 in 2005 to...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The Health Service Executive has accepted the report of the Health Information and Quality Authority into the circumstances surrounding the misdiagnosis of the person referred to by the deputy and has developed an action plan around the implementation of the 15 recommendations in the report. I am informed that this action plan has been approved by the HSE Management Team and has been...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: As part of the Multi-Annual Investment Programme 2006-2009 under the Disability Strategy, the Government provided the Health Service Executive with an additional €75m in both 2006 and 2007. This funding included monies to provide new and enhanced services for people with disabilities, to implement Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which came into effect on June 1st 2007 for the under 5s...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: There has been considerable expansion in treatment services under the National Drug Treatment Strategy 2001-2008 and, while improvements are still required in treatment services for drug users, I am satisfied that considerable progress has been made in improving both access and the range of services available. In regard to funding, the HSE currently makes €91 million available for its drugs...

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The European Health Insurance Card was introduced on 1 June 2004. The EHIC enables the holder to access necessary healthcare in the public healthcare system of any EU/EEA member state or Switzerland, if he or she becomes ill or injured while on a temporary stay in that country. The EHIC replaced four previously existing paper forms of entitlement, including the E111. In Ireland, anyone who is...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: In the context of his most recent Budget Speech, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., announced an Efficiency Review, under which all Departments were required to examine all administrative spending under their, or their State bodies', aegis. The identification of inefficiencies arising from the multiplicity of Boards and Agencies was identified as relevant in...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: A Strategic Review of Neurology services in Ireland has been undertaken by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Review was overseen by a multidisciplinary Steering Group whose aim was to identify the current level of service provision and future requirements for neurology and neurophysiology services in Ireland. The specific objectives were to: Describe the epidemiology of neurological...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The new contract for medical consultants provides for the following contract types:Type A: Will work exclusively for the public hospital and will be remunerated solely by way of salary. Type B: Will work exclusively for the public hospital but may engage in limited private practice on the public hospital campus (including in a co-located hospital) up to a maximum of 20% of total clinical...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The HSE is currently finalising a review of the work of the named consultant pathologist who was employed on a temporary contract at Cork University Hospital for seven weeks in 2007. It will be published shortly. HIQA is undertaking an investigation into the provision of care by the HSE to a patient which includes a review of pathology services at University College Hospital Galway involving...

Written Answers — Patient Referrals: Patient Referrals (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The Medical Council is the body in the State charged with responsibility for the registration of medical practitioners and the regulation of their activities. Section 69(2) of the Medical Practitioners Act 1978 states, "It shall be a function of the Council to give guidance to the medical profession generally on all matters relating to ethical conduct and behaviour." Ethical guidance is a...

Written Answers — Medical Inquiries: Medical Inquiries (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: The HSE has commissioned an independent person to conduct a review of the operation of Parents for Justice together with an assessment of the future counselling requirements of persons affected by organ retention practices. This review is well under way. I have informed Parents for Justice that I will be happy to meet them as soon as the review is complete.

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issue raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (5 Jun 2008)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 60 together. I would like to assure the Deputies that tackling Health care Associated Infections (HCAIs), including Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), continues to be a priority for the Government and for the Health Service Executive (HSE). The recommendations referred to by the Deputies are contained in the Guidelines for the Surveillance,...