Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Private Activity in Public Hospitals: Discussion

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is not true. I want to disassociate myself from any suggestion there is preferential emergency care in this country. Not for a moment am I suggesting the witnesses implied there was.

Maternity care is a good example of where a lot of women, if they can access and afford private care, will go for it. The main reason one hears for that decision is the woman wants the same consultant. She feels that if she goes in and is dealing with one obstetrician the whole way through, that is really valuable. Has the independent review group looked at how those real concerns can be dealt with if we remove the option for women to avail of private maternity care, thereby removing the option to avail of having the same obstetrician through the care and delivery?

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