David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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502. To ask the Minister for Health if he has examined a report from HIQA into medication safety arrangements in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11342/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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503. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the absence of governance arrangements at UHW for medication safety; the action he and his Department will take to remedy this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11343/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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504. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a HIQA finding that medication related clinical incidents were likely to be under-reported at UHW; the actions the HSE will take on foot of this finding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11344/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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505. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a HIQA finding that there was outdated and potentially conflicting reference information for using intravenous medication in clinical areas at UHW; the actions he will take on foot of these findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11345/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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506. To ask the Minister for Health when a medicine safety pharmacist was appointed in Waterford; the nature of the role; the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11346/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 to 506, inclusive, together.

I welcome the publication of the HIQA Medication Safety Reports. The reports provide evidence that a number of the hospitals inspected have robust and effective governance systems in place for medicines management. When taken together, these reports improve visibility of current medication management practice, identify variation in practice, where present, and identify system requirements to reduce risks. This in turn provides a clear opportunity for improvement and further development of these systems.

Individual hospitals, including University Hospital Waterford, now have direction in terms of their requirements for improvement. As Hospital Groups continue to develop their governance structures, they are well placed to provide leadership and support to enable individual hospitals to address the findings of the HIQA reports. Hospital Group CEOs have an important role to play to ensure that medication safety is prioritised and to ensure that smaller hospitals are supported in terms of the development, application and evaluation of Group protocols, processes and practices, to promote and ensure medication safety. This approach will also ensure that resources required to underpin medication safety are optimised and maximised and that learning and expertise is shared across all hospitals and the system in general.

I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly in relation to your specific queries regarding University Hospital Waterford.