Results 11,461-11,480 of 12,424 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Leaders' Questions (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: The Deputy needs to calm down.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: That seems unlikely, Chairman

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: I was struck by a statement in one of the submissions to the effect that proposals to address the shortage of GPs by transferring tasks to other health care professionals are not in the interests of patients or the State and then it continued with a list of bad things that might happen. That flies in the face of the evidence and reports we have heard about skill mix and it ties into the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: In what way?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: I do not accept that. Changing the name on the payslip for the woman or the man who is a member of the practice staff would not, I imagine, in any way dilute their loyalty, commitment or ability to care for patients. However, it would alleviate a lot of what the witnesses tell us are the burdens of running a small business and all of that. I have spoken to GPs and one of the things they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: That is the patients' perception.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: Would Dr. Byrne accept that sending patients to hospitals for blood tests is a backward step?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: I have seen notices in GP surgeries to the effect that patients who cannot afford to pay for blood tests should seek to have them done at a hospital. Many of these people are patients who need blood tests and cannot face having to go to a hospital to have them done. How does one square that circle? My understanding is that the HSE is of the view that this is a service, regardless of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: I accept that challenge; they are turning themselves away.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: GPs are putting that notice up and making the position very clear. If a person does not have the money to pay for it, they can go to the hospital and if they cannot face the hospital they go home and worry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: Is that the key to the contract negotiations? The contract is not fit for purpose because it does not recognise current demand and that the delegates are interested in the negotiation of a contract that could be reviewed and would be responsive to patient needs. I am a trade unionist, as the delegates know, and I absolutely respect their right to be represented collectively, but sometimes I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Primary Care Services: Discussion (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: We finally have the figure. With regard to-----

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: 233. To ask the Minister for Health the number of additional staff that will be recruited or are planned to be recruited in the State's primary care centres in 2017; the additional staff that will be hired, including in which primary care centre and their role, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4951/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (2 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: 256. To ask the Minister for Health the annual budget allocated to Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2007 to 2016, in tabular form; and the amounts of money returned and reported as unspent for each of the years 2007 to 2016 [5068/17]

Other Questions: General Medical Services Scheme (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: The Minister said that this matter will be addressed as part of the GP contract negotiations. One wonders what is the point of the negotiations if GPs are not adhering to the current agreement. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to the following matter. Many GP surgeries, including some in my own constituency, have put up signs advising patients that if they do not want to...

Other Questions: General Medical Services Scheme (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: It is patiently obvious that GPs are flouting the current agreement and charging for this service. The fact that there is an arrangement in place to address situations where this arises indicates that GPs are clearly flouting the current agreement. It is entirely in order, therefore, that I would question the wisdom of cutting another deal with the same people who as the Minister said are...

Other Questions: General Medical Services Scheme (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: Will the Minister keep me updated on this matter?

Other Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund Data (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: As in the case of all my questions today, this question is self-explanatory. It relates to data from the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. The Committee on the Future of Healthcare has met a number of different organisations on this issue. It appears there is a difficulty in terms of extracting information from the private sector. The private sector not being my first choice for...

Other Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund Data (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: The Minister is aware of my view on this matter but I will repeat it. We will never improve the public health service by investing in the private sector, regardless of how many times we do it. The Minister can cross his fingers and wish really hard but it is not going to happen. We will agree to disagree on that point. The Minister referenced a monitoring framework. Who will monitor...

Other Questions: National Children's Hospital Location (1 Feb 2017)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Perhaps we can work on improving communications between the Office of the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle because I went to the trouble of ensuring I could take these questions.