Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A number of the questions I had intended to ask have already been posed, so I will not repeat them. I will be interested to hear the witnesses' response to the points raised by Deputy Kelleher. It is obvious that there had to be a change in culture. Dr. Fawsitt spoke about moving the food to deal with stray cats. Smokers can try and try again to give up cigarettes, but that will not happen until something clicks in their heads and they realise it is time to stop. When that happens, it is easier to quit than people might think. I hope those present understand the point I am making. Why has this thinking not spread to other regional hospital areas? Why are people not thinking about how to adapt something that actually works to their own communities? I think this could be the biggest issue we face as a committee. If we are to recommend that this type of model should be used, we will have to look at how we develop it.

There is a point about reinvestment in that it will not go into a black hole, but how do we put protocols in place to ensure that will happen? The matter must be discussed with the Health Service Executive and the integrated care committees.

I live on the north side of Dublin and the father of my GP assisted my mother in giving birth to all of us at home. That man's son took over the GP practice and knows all of the family inside out. He knows our history and whether we are sporty or were healthy when we were young. It makes sense that experience feeds in for people who are chronically ill and need assistance. When an ill person presents at a hospital, he or she is very much dealt with as is; he or she will be put into an acute bed or face surgery. As Deputy John Brassil stated, the model we are discussing could be key in addressing the longer term ten or 15-year strategy for hospitals. I support it and wish to examine it in further detail.

Dr. Fawsitt has stated 28% of GPs are over the age of 60 years, while 33% are over 55. Within five or ten years we will lose a significant number of experienced GPs. That again raises the question we discussed at the last meeting of how we keep the GPs that are being trained in the system. That will be crucial. We should recommend that this be done with GPs, nurses and other doctors.