‘On The Record’

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In a reply to a Parliamentary Question on General Medical Services  Minister for Shortall said:   Section 11 of the General Medical Services (GMS) GP Capitation Contract, which was introduced in 1989, provides that the medical practitioner shall provide for eligible persons, on behalf of the Health Service Executive, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess.

General Practitioners (GPs) who hold General Medical Services (GMS) contracts with the HSE must not seek or accept money from medical card or GP visit card holders for services covered under the GMS contract.  In circumstances where the taking of blood is necessary to either: Read the rest of this entry »

Opening Statement by Minister for Health, James Reilly TD at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children 

I thank the Chairman and the members for this opportunity to speak with them.  I, along with my colleagues Ministers’ of State Kathleen Lynch and Róisín Shortall look forward to responding to your questions and having a valuable discussion with you on health service issues. 

As you are well aware, the health service and health policy has particular relevance for every citizen, be they adult or child, male or female and wherever and in whatever circumstances they are living.  It is no surprise, therefore, that the Government is fully committed not just to more efficient ways of delivering services but to a fundamental reform of the Irish Health Service.  This was never going to be an easy task.  The Government is implementing major reforms and introducing initiatives to improve the quality of service at a time when we, as a nation, are the most economically challenged that we have ever been. Read the rest of this entry »

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In a reply to a Parliamentary Question on hospital trusts  Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly said:   The establishment of hospital trusts is an important stepping stone towards the introduction of universal health insurance which is the ultimate destination of the Government’s reform programme.  The rationale behind the establishment of hospital groups and trusts is to support increased operational autonomy and accountability for hospital services in a way that will drive the optimum service reforms. Performance improvement must be at the heart of the national reform programme: the creation of hospital groups and trusts is integral to a stronger and more systematic process of performance management for hospitals.  Read the rest of this entry »