Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The Deputy has raised a number of issues. Clearly, the preferred health system is one in which more procedures are carried out at community and primary care levels, and 90% of health needs can be met in these areas. This year, primary care teams are being rolled out and additional staff recruited, particularly as regards therapies, to ensure we have the range of expertise at community and primary care levels to provide a service. We are moving from inpatient to day cases, and in particular outpatients. Professor Keane has commented on this move.

The Irish norm is unusual in his experience where, after a person receives cancer treatment, he or she continues to attend the treating consultant. Best practice in Canada and internationally, he has said, provides that patients come back only in a rare number of cases. Follow-up treatment should be provided through the general practitioner. As a result of this practice, many people never get to see a consultant in the first place. Much of what we are trying to do is to change the way that outpatient and other services are provided.

As regards the plan——

See this speech in context