Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The second point I wish to make concerns the trolley problem. In the month of September the number of people on trolleys was 40% higher than in the same month last year, so whatever reforms are happening or whatever the Minister is doing is quite patently not working. I will give him some examples. Moving away from trolleys, there are patients suffering greatly because of bed capacity problems, not necessarily just because they are on trolleys. There are patients for whom we as GPs must fight to get them into the system. It is not just a matter of asking for a consultation; it is actually a fight to get people into the system. There are patients in the midwest who have cancer and who have been waiting six months for a basic diagnostic procedure. A number are cancelled or time out. I was in contact with one patient this morning, an elderly gentleman who has been waiting for surgery for a number of weeks. He was admitted on Sunday night and fasted all day Monday and all day Tuesday, and today is Wednesday and he still has not had his surgery.

The Minister cannot just dismiss these issues by saying the numbers are improving. There are real stories behind each one of these patients. I do not think he recognises the urgency of that. I just did not get a sense of urgency this morning from the opening statements he and Mr. Reid made. I just want the Minister to respond. How urgently will he address the bed capacity issue and the consultant capacity issue? I understand from what he said today that he has now written a letter to the IMO. He committed to doing that before the summer recess. He did it on the last day of September. He has not contacted the Irish Hospital Consultants Association. The recruitment and retention of consultants is a huge barrier because it can be proven that if a consultant or two are added to a team, that waiting list drops immediately. Addressing recruitment and retention is therefore the key to reducing the number of people on waiting lists and trolleys. What urgency does the Minister attach to this matter?