Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As an addendum to that, with regard to referrals coming from private patients entering the system or requiring urgent treatment, is there a culture in the public health sector to refer these patients elsewhere rather than deal with them in the event that their condition requires urgent and necessary treatment because I have come up against that and would like some clarification? I believe the health of the patient should be paramount regardless of whether he or she is private or public and if it is possible to give him or her the attention he or she requires and deserves, it should be done.