Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 2 February 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Primary Care Services: Discussion

9:00 am

Photo of Michael HartyMichael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will add to Senator Dolan's comments. While the Committee on the Future of Healthcare and this committee are different forums, many members sit on both committees. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because the health service is at a critical point and we have an opportunity to promote change. This will be done in the report to be published in the coming months. We must move in the right direction because if we head off in the wrong direction, the health service will be dead in the water. We also need to assist the Minister and Department to move the health service in the right direction. One of the core findings of the committee will be to recommend a shift from hospital-centred care to primary care, community care and general practice, whichever way people may wish to describe it. As the witnesses stated, general practice does not have the capacity to take on additional work because the system is on its knees. What are the fundamental triggers that would bring about change and help us to move in the right direction to build a service based on community care?

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