Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

The HSE was set up under the Health Act 2004 and came into existence on 1 January 2005. Part 9 of that Act covers complaints from patients about standards of care within the HSE. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children in November 2006, nearly two years later, a HSE official admitted the HSE was still waiting for the Minister to sign off on the regulations governing patient complaints about the standard of care under the remit of the HSE.

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats could continue their cavalier attitude to concerns on patient safety after the next general election even if the social services inspectorate is set up. It took the Minister two years to sign off on regulations governing complaints about the health care system under the HSE. That is evidence of a cavalier attitude given that we were dealing with issues like Leas Cross on a daily basis during that two year period yet the Minister paid no attention to a fundamental part of the health service that would allow people an opportunity to make complaints.

The social services inspectorate is not a health ombudsman and does not have such a role or power. Currently it is working on standards that are to some degree discredited. The standards for the future must be clearly outlined. We must know exactly what will happen because MRSA, the lack of cancer services and patients waiting on trolleys are fundamental parts of our health service that are going seriously wrong.

Patients in other countries have been given power in that they are placed at the centre of the heath service. Too much confusion is evident within the processes and systems here. It is not necessary for the Minister to make half the changes she has proposed. The setting up of a patient safety authority will give power to patients. Once the Minister moves the power base in the health service more towards patients, the changes she is having difficulty getting through will follow automatically.

It is incredible the legislation does not cover acute hospitals. HIQA and the social services inspectorate have no role to play in acute hospitals.

See this speech in context