Results 14,461-14,480 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospitals Winter Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for tabling these important questions. This is happening because of years of decisions that there were too many hospital beds in the health service. As a result of the withdrawal of beds during that time, we need to continue to increase the number of beds. This year, for the first time since 2009, there are 11,000 open beds in the health service. We need to continue...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospitals Winter Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospitals Winter Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: Correct.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospitals Winter Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I know the Deputy does not like squabbling. I would not call it squabbling; I would call it debating in a parliamentary Chamber on whose policies work and whose policies do not work. When someone is dealing with complex healthcare matters, one-liners only take him or her so far. Deputy Donnelly has characterised the current position by referring to "the likes of which this country has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hospitals Winter Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I will remind the Deputies opposite of Fianna Fáil's record in health. It slashed the health budget. Its leader set up the HSE in a way that did not work. During the Celtic tiger years, it built loads of motorways and deserves credit for that, but it did not build any acute hospitals. That is the record. We are now working constructively on an agreed way forward on Sláintecare,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, in May 2017, I gave approval to the HSE to conduct an options appraisal for future acute hospital needs in Galway. Following the appropriate procurement process, external consultants were appointed to the project in July 2018. As part of this project, Saolta University Healthcare Group undertook a planning project to assess the population health...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: Reducing waiting times for hospital appointments and procedures is a key commitment of government. While the last 18 months have seen considerable progress in the reduction of waiting times for Inpatient and Daycase treatments, I am conscious that the Outpatient Waiting List remains a significant challenge as demand for acute hospital services continues to grow. Waiting list figures for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: According to provisional HSE TrolleyGAR data, there was a 2.1% increase in patients counted waiting on trolleys at 8am in Sligo University Hospital ED for the year to date as of the end of September 2019 compared to the same period last year. In the month of September 2019, there were 305 patients counted on trolleys in Sligo, which was a 1% increase compared to the previous month. I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive recently published its Capital Plan for 2019-2021. The plan includes capital funding for the Community Nursing Unit programme and also sets out the current status of all projects within the programme, including the refurbishment and extension of Kanturk Community Hospital, County Cork. The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital Expenditure (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: I advised Government in December 2018 that the final cost of the design, build and equipment programme for which the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is responsible was estimated to be €1,433 million. There has been no change to this figure advised to Government.   The PwC report makes clear that the Guaranteed Maximum Price established through the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Screening Programmes (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: Since 2010, as part of quality assurance measures, CervicalCheck reviewed the screening history of every woman notified to it as having a diagnosis of cervical cancer, who had previously been screened by the programme. The objective of audit and quality review at CervicalCheck was to facilitate continued improvement and ongoing learning within the programme. Following the issues which arose...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments Waiting Times (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE TrolleyGAR count shows a 17% increase in patients waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick ED for this year up to the end of September compared to the same period last year. In the month of September 2019, there were 897 patients counted on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, which was a 28% increase compared to the previous month. It is acknowledged that this is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Consultant Data (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The following table incorporating Eurostat data shows that the number of Specialist Medical Practitioners (consultant doctors) per 100,000 inhabitants In Ireland was 142.7 in 2017 compared with an EU average of 251.8. While it is acknowledged that the per capita position in Ireland is low compared with other EU Member States, Eurostat data covering other health professionals...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Action Plan (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The joint Department of Health/HSE/National Treatment Purchase Fund Scheduled Care Access Plan, published in March of this year, set out ambitious targets to improve waiting times for patients to access hospital procedures and appointments. Waiting list figures for the end of September 2019, due to be published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) this week, show that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The Health Service Executive recently published its Capital Plan for 2019-2021. The plan includes capital funding for the Community Nursing Unit programme and also sets out the current status of all projects within the programme, including the refurbishment and extension of Macroom Community Hospital. The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE TrolleyGAR count shows a 17% increase in patients waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick ED for this year up to the end of September compared to the same period last year. In the month of September 2019, there were 897 patients counted on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, which was a 28% increase compared to the previous month. It is acknowledged that this is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Dementia Strategy (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The aim of the National Dementia Strategy, which was published in December 2014, is to improve care, services and supports for people with dementia. Implementation of the Strategy is being led by the National Dementia Office in the HSE. The HSE currently provides about €9 million per annum for intensive home care packages, including €7.9 million for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Newborn Screening Cards (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: A National Screening Committee is being established and will hold its first meeting before the end of 2019, as per recommendation 5, contained within the Scally Review (2018). The Committee’s role will be to undertake an independent assessment of the evidence for screening for a particular condition against internationally accepted criteria and make recommendations accordingly.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: The National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a Steering Group was formed from nominations from interested stakeholders representing medical, professional/technical staff, nursing and patient representatives. The aim of the Review is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Equipment (10 Oct 2019)

Simon Harris: According to provisional HSE TrolleyGAR data, there was a 17% increase in patients waiting on trolleys year to date in UHL ED in September 2019 compared to the same period last year. In the month of September 2019, there were 897 patients counted on trolleys in UHL, which was a 28% increase compared to the previous month.   It is acknowledged that this is unacceptably high and the...