Results 18,461-18,480 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Medical Negligence Claims: Medical Negligence Claims (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The estimated cost of settling the 1,300 claims notified to the State Claims Agency since the establishment of the clinical indemnity scheme in July 2002 is based on advice received from consulting actuaries appointed by the State Claims Agency and my Department. The estimate of €160 million is the projected cost of settling these claims over the ten years or so that it will take to dispose...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for the collection and reporting of waiting lists and waiting times for inpatient hospital treatment falls within the remit of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. Based on the latest information provided to the NTPF by Beaumont Hospital there were 351 patients waiting for elective neurosurgical procedures in mid-April 2006. This represents a decrease of approximately...

Written Answers — Health Service Management: Health Service Management (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I assume the Deputy is referring to a media report some time back referring to a meeting last September between the Secretary General of my Department and the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive about my initiative to free up public hospital beds for public patients. I can assure the Deputy that there is no question of a lack of accountability by or within my Department or...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: In January 2006, the WHO Stop TB Partnership launched the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015. This plan sets out actions towards a world free of tuberculosis. The plan outlines what needs to be done to make an impact on the global burden of TB and to achieve the partnership's goal of reducing TB deaths and disease by 50% by 2015. The WHO goal for 2050 is the elimination of TB as a public health...

Written Answers — Hospital Service Management: Hospital Service Management (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I visited Louth County Hospital on 27 January 2006 and met the hospital network manager, the group general manager, the Medical Board, consultants, hospital staff and also a group of general practitioners from the Dundalk area. I also visited Our Lady's Hospital, Navan and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in 2005. I look forward to visiting Cavan and Monaghan General Hospitals as soon...

Written Answers — Hospital Procedures: Hospital Procedures (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The hospital inpatient inquiry, HIPE, system collects information from acute hospitals on every patient. Discharge information for 2005 continues to be notified to the HIPE system, and as a result the data for 2005 are not yet complete. In 2004, there were 2,988 neurosurgical procedures carried out as emergency admissions, in addition to 1,998 procedures carried out on an elective basis.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Responsibility for improvements in specialist health services in the former Midland Health Board region rests with the Health Service Executive, HSE. The executive has advised that a number of capital and service developments have been progressed in the area in recent years to facilitate the improvement of specialist health services in the region. Principal among the capital developments that...

Written Answers — Hospitals Building Programme: Hospitals Building Programme (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 76 together. On 3 February last, the Health Service Executive published a report which was prepared by McKinsey & Co., on the delivery of tertiary paediatric services in this country. This report was commissioned by the HSE following my request to it to arrange a review of those services. The report recommends that best outcomes for children would be...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Prior to the establishment of the Health Service Executive, parliamentary questions concerning access to services, by individuals or in specific geographic areas, were referred to the chief executive officer of the relevant health board-ERHA for direct reply. The establishment of the HSE brought into being a new unitary system for the delivery and management of health services at local,...

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 67, 101, 111, 139 and 144 together. Tackling the current difficulties with accident and emergency departments is the Government's top priority in health. The service being provided to some patients in accident and emergency departments is unacceptable and must be improved. Our objectives are to reduce the numbers waiting for admission, the time spent...

Written Answers — Hospital Visiting Policy: Hospital Visiting Policy (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I am advised that the HSE is currently considering the introduction of a national visiting policy for acute hospitals. A draft policy has been developed and relevant stakeholders are being consulted. The aims of the policy will be to provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment for patients and staff, to enhance patient privacy and to facilitate optimal treatment and care.

Written Answers — Health Service Advisers: Health Service Advisers (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Section 24 of the Health Act 2004 empowers the HSE to engage such advisers as it considers necessary for the performance of its functions. Any fees due to an adviser so engaged are payable by the HSE out of funds at its disposal. As part of the arrangements for the appointment of Professor Brendan Drumm as chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive, the board of the HSE agreed...

Written Answers — Child Health Care: Child Health Care (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The best health for children programme provides a core surveillance programme for all children in the 0-12 age group and covers both pre-school developmental examinations as well as the school health service. The best health for children programme first introduced national recommendations on child health screening and surveillance in 1999 and these were further revised in 2004. The...

Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: In November 2005, a sub-committee of the HSE's National Primary and Community Care Reform Working Group was established to review the current status of GP access to diagnostics; to explore current and potential capacity; and make short, medium and long-term recommendations. I am advised that work is being undertaken at present to progress two specific initiatives. One is the development of a...

Written Answers — Hospital Inspectorate: Hospital Inspectorate (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: A public consultation exercise is under way on the legislative proposals to provide for the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. It is envisaged that HIQA will set standards on safety and quality of services, including hospital services, provided by or on behalf of the Health Service Executive, HSE. It will monitor and advise the Minister and the HSE on the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: Last July I announced the Government's plan for a national network of radiation oncology services to be put in place by 2011, commencing in 2008. The network will consist of four large centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital. The Health Service Executive in association with the National Development...

Written Answers — National Cancer Strategy: National Cancer Strategy (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I have received a strategy for cancer control in Ireland from the National Cancer Forum. My Department is currently examining the strategy with a view to bringing proposals to Government shortly. I will publish the strategy shortly thereafter.

Written Answers — Health Service Systems: Health Service Systems (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The response from the HSE in this respect is as follows. The board of the HSE, at its meeting on 6 April, discussed a report submitted by the HSE management team. This report set out a high level strategic roadmap in relation to the future direction of PPARS. The HSE board has requested further work to be undertaken by the management team before any decisions could be taken by it. The HSE...

Written Answers — Primary Care Strategy: Primary Care Strategy (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: The primary care strategy is the roadmap for the future development of primary care services in Ireland over a period of some ten years, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. At the heart of the strategy is the aim of developing services in the community to give...

Written Answers — National Cancer Strategy: National Cancer Strategy (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Harney: I have received a strategy for cancer control in Ireland from the National Cancer Forum. The strategy makes recommendations in relation to organisation, governance, quality assurance and accreditation across the continuum of cancer care from prevention and health promotion through to treatment services, palliative care and research. There is a strong emphasis in the strategy on health...