Dr. Gabrielle Colleran:

The purpose of the NTPF is to be a short-term sticking plaster solution, while we add capacity in the public sector. Essentially, money is being transferred from the public health system to the private system. When there is such low staffing and restricted access, there is major risk to patients who have to wait. We are forced into a position where we must try to buy access to quality care wherever it is possible to do so. Deputy O'Reilly's point is absolutely correct as if people are seen and have their first outpatient appointment, they might need a scan and be transferred to another list. They would be new to that list. The numbers might improve, but we must see the impact on the patient. What would work for patients is having enough consultants in posts to provide access to care in order that everybody can be seen within six weeks. It is something we could achieve if we all worked together with a shared vision and a focus on patients by listening to them and responding to their needs. That is what the Peoples Needs Defining Change platform in the HSE is all about. It is about reacting to the changing and ageing population, where one person in eight is over 65 years to where one in six will be over 65 by 2030. The NTPF is just a short-term sticking plaster. We need capacity in public hospitals. Dr. O'Hanlon mentioned Scotland. It has twice the number of consultants and 30% more beds. We need investment to provide capacity in the public sector because the NTPF is very expensive. Investing in the health service is not just about increasing the budget but spending the money properly on front-line staff and in providing capacity to facilitate the treatment of patients. The quote from Warren Bennis is that we are "over-managed and under-led". Therefore, we need the leadership to show the vision of investing in the public health system in order that we will be staffed at capacity to meet the changing population's needs.