Dáil debates

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Health Care Services: Motion

 

8:00 pm

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

I want to acknowledge the positive things in our health system. We have excellent health care, which is provided by hard-working and highly trained staff, and it has a significant budget, once one is in the system. That is central and brings me to the issue of beds. It is ironic that people are left on trolleys, chairs and worse who need a bed while those in wards are left in beds, through no fault of their own, when they could and should be at home with support, nursing home or community care.

The first two points in the Government amendment are more aspirational than real. I support the call for the Government to instruct the VHI to postpone the increases because the time for increases, if at all, is during a time of plenty and not a recession. More will opt out of private health insurance because they need to spend their money elsewhere. This will lead to further pressure on the public health system.

Those paying for even the most expensive cover will need and use the public system if they are very ill, which brings me to a more fundamental question which has to be asked about our two-tier health system. There are gross injustices in such a system. It is not right or fair that two people with a medical issue can get a different initial response. A person with money or private health insurance can get an appointment with a consultant or an MRI scan within days or weeks while a public patient will wait for months if not longer.

New thinking on financing health care is needed. We need a new system based on the needs of the patients and not their ability to pay. There should be a system of equity of access to health care. As long as there is a two-tier health service with medical care readily available for those who can afford to pay and long waiting lists for the rest, the misery of trolleys in accident and emergency departments will continue.

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