Parliamentary questions

379. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a consultant neurosurgeon at Beaumont Hospital; and the average waiting time for same. [22775/26]

380. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason there are no reports available to the public in relation to the amount of people that die in Irish hospitals each year. [22781/26]

381. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the procedure by which an individual can request a correction of their medical records in cases of misdiagnosis, where evidence is provided; if such as procedure exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22785/26]

382. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health when was the most recent independent audit or review of the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS), including its operation within Children’s Health Ireland and across adult hospitals in the HSE. [22804/26]

383. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that NIMIS is currently operating safely and reliably across all HSE facilities; and, if not, to identify the hospitals, regions or services where system failures, outages or performance issues have been recorded. [22805/26]

384. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of reports that failures of NIMIS have resulted in surgical procedures proceeding without access to required imaging, including X-rays, particularly in paediatric settings. [22806/26]

385. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of allegations that IT staff have been required to restore imaging systems while patients were undergoing surgery; and if so, the investigations that have been carried out into these incidents. [22807/26]

386. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any patient safety incidents, adverse outcomes, or near-misses have been formally recorded in connection with NIMIS failures, including harm to patients (adult or paediatric), and delays, cancellations, or postponements of procedures. [22808/26]

387. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the clinical governance, risk management, and contingency protocols in place within Children’s Health Ireland and the HSE to ensure imaging systems are fully operational prior to surgical procedures. [22809/26]

388. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any policies within CHI or the HSE requiring that NIMIS or equivalent imaging systems are checked, verified, and formally signed off as operational prior to surgical procedures; if so, to provide details of such policies; and the way compliance is monitored. [22810/26]

389. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any external review or escalation to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has been made in relation to NIMIS failures; and if so, the outcome of any such review. [22811/26]

390. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost of implementing NIMIS, including procurement and rollout; the annual operating, maintenance, and support costs; and the identity of the bodies or individuals responsible for procurement decisions, system oversight and governance and ongoing operation and maintenance. [22812/26]

391. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any formal training, guidance, or protocols that have been provided, either historically or currently, to IT staff who may be required to enter operating theatres or critical care environments to address system failures; and if so, to provide details of such training. [22813/26]

392. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she will ensure that appropriate professional training and clear protocols are in place for IT personnel required to enter live surgical or critical clinical settings, including training in patient safety, infection prevention and control, and interaction within multidisciplinary clinical teams. [22814/26]

393. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of reported mortality figures within Children’s Health Ireland facilities, including those associated with Temple Street and Crumlin hospitals; and if so, to provide the annual mortality rates for paediatric patients in those hospitals. [22815/26]

394. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any audit, review, or investigation has been conducted into mortality rates, surgical outcomes, or procedure cancellations within CHI or the HSE, including any assessment of whether IT system failures, including issues relating to NIMIS or other critical systems, have contributed to adverse clinical outcomes, delays or cancellations o…

395. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if no such audit or review has been conducted if she will initiate an independent review into the potential impact of IT system performance and resilience on clinical outcomes, including mortality rates and surgical delays; and whether such a review will examine both historical and current outcomes within CHI and the HSE. [22817/26]

396. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any recorded incidents within Children’s Health Ireland hospitals where surgical items, including swabs or medical instruments, were unintentionally retained in paediatric patients following procedures; if so, to provide details of the number of such incidents recorded to date; the clinical impact on patients; whether …

397. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any formal training, qualifications, or protocols in place for senior IT personnel, including IT managers and Chief Information Officers (CIOs), within CHI and the HSE, to equip them to operate safely and effectively within intensive care unit (ICU) or other critical clinical environments; and if so, to provide details…

398. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Children’s Health Ireland holds or has held an external academic position, including with University College Dublin; if so whether such an arrangement has been formally approved; the governance, oversight, and conflict-of-interest policies apply to such dual roles; and the way i…

399. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the training, guidance, or policies in place within the Human Resources departments of CHI and the HSE to ensure that IT staff are appropriately recruited, assessed, and provided with ongoing training and competency development for working in intensive care units (ICU), operating theatres, and other critical clinical environments; and the way…

400. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health in view of matters outlined and the reported availability of multiple IT staff witnesses, whether she will consider referring any potential matters of concern to An Garda Síochána for appropriate assessment or investigation; and, if not, the reasons for that decision. [22822/26]

401. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any instances, historically or currently, of IT staff entering operating theatres or intensive care unit, ICU, environments without appropriate Garda vetting while addressing issues with NIMIS or other critical systems; if so, the safeguards, policies and oversight mechanisms in place to ensure patient safety and compliance…

402. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any instances where IT personnel, including permanent and contract staff, were deployed within CHI hospitals without appropriate Garda vetting, including staff provided by external contractors. [22824/26]

403. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of the use of third-party contractors in the provision of IT services within CHI; and the Garda vetting requirements and verification processes that were applied. [22825/26]