Results 17,441-17,460 of 45,622 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Planning (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, in May 2017, I gave approval to Saolta University Health Care Group to conduct an options appraisal for future acute hospital needs in Galway. As part of this, Saolta is undertaking a planning project to assess the population health needs for the Hospital’s catchment area in order to inform existing and future service needs. The assessment will provide an...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Staff Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE Model of Care for Neurology provides a framework for neurology services, including for Parkinson's Disease patients, using international best practice and describes care provision using an integrated service approach. The model is fully aligned with the objectives of Sláintecare and proposes a hub and spoke model, with services provided as close to home as possible but with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group. In 2013 Our Lady’s Hospital Navan was included in the list of designated Model 2 Hospitals under the Smaller Hospitals Framework. Every hospital in the Group, large and small, has a vital role to play within the Group, with smaller hospitals, such as Navan Hospital, managing routine, urgent or planned care...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Physiotherapy Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I acknowledge that challenges exist in the delivery of physiotherapy services in Connemara. However, I am assured by the HSE that efforts are being undertaken to minimise the impact on patients. I understand that the physiotherapist post assigned to the South Connemara Primary Care Team has recently become vacant after being filled on a continuous but temporary basis since August 2018. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: It is not my intention to publish the contract relating to the new children's hospital construction. However, I contacted the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board on the matter and have been provided with a redacted contract which I will make available to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Data (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Construction on the new Radiation Oncology Unit at University Hospital Galway (UHG) is expected to be completed in April 2021. It will open to patients following the completion of clinical commissioning in March 2022. UHG have made the Department aware of seven oncology-related vacancies in the Hospital, including five at staff nursing level and two within management and administration. I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I am committed to tackling the key challenges our health service faces in relation to long waiting times and hospital overcrowding. Improving timely access for patients to scheduled and unscheduled care is at the heart of Sláintecare. Building upon the process made in recent years in this area, the Sláintecare Action Plan 2019 published by my Department, includes a specific...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: All newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’) through their parents/guardians for eight very rare conditions that are treatable if detected early in life. These include: - cystic fibrosis - congenital hypothyroidism - phenylketonuria - classical galactosaemia - MCADD (medium-chain acyl-CoA...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country. The hospital system is currently operating at close to full capacity. The Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick is one of the busiest in the country, with the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 42 and 146 together. As the Deputies are aware, the Oireachtas put in place a strong legal framework, in the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, to give full statutory powers to the HSE to assess and make decisions on reimbursement of medicines, taking account of a range of objective factors and expert opinion as appropriate. I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Provision (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The National Ambulance Service is committed to providing a safe, high quality and timely, patient centred ambulance service to people across the country, including in County Wicklow. Overall resource availability across the North Leinster Area, which includes County Wicklow, has increased following the move towards dynamic deployment. Resources are now utilised across a region, so that...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: Good progress is being made in establishing the Medical Cannabis Access Programme: 1.clinical guidelines have been drawn up and published, 2.secondary legislation is being drafted, 3.cannabis products for use under the Programme, once reviewed as suitable for medical use, will be published on an ‘approved list’. The Programme aims to facilitate access to certain...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this question.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Winter Plan 2018/19, recognising the multiple factors across the health service that impact on Emergency Department performance, included a range of measures to support patients accessing services in the community and in hospitals. Planning for Winter 2019/20 has already commenced, with a review of performance over the Winter Period currently underway to ensure that the lessons learned...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 77 together. The vast majority of services in the new children’s hospital will be public services. However, as part of the National Contract for Consultants negotiated in 2008, some consultants holding specific contracts are entitled to engage in private outpatient practice outside of their public commitment and this commitment must be conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Reimbursement (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. The NCPE completed a health technology assessment on 29 August 2018 for Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Planning (15 May 2019)

Simon Harris: The Report of the Trauma Steering Group was approved by Government in February 2018. An interim implementation group has been established by the HSE, as recommended in the report, and is progressing the four immediate actions (recruitment of National Clinical Lead, orthopaedic bypass protocols, selection of Major Trauma Centre for Dublin, and detailed implementation planning). The report, A...