Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Mercy Hospital in Cork now has a new admissions procedure so people can come in for an operation and leave the same day. The South Infirmary Victoria Hospital has reduced the length of stay for knee and hip replacements and now has a pain management unit. This was unheard of previously. Cork University Hospital has a new assessment unit and 85 new beds were opened there and in the Mercy Hospital just this week. Reform in rostering and changes to work practices have allowed for greater numbers to be seen and fewer people on trolleys. These are some of the many positive signs that the Deputies opposite do not want to hear because they just want the bad news. That is fair enough, it is their prerogative, but let us look at what we are doing in the health system, driving reform and putting the patient at the centre of the system.

It is not good enough for the Health Insurance Authority to tell people to shop around. There are more than 200 differently priced plans in the market. Let us make it simpler and more streamlined for those who want to keep their private health insurance. We face many challenges in the health insurance market and consumers are making difficult choices. As prices have increased, many have relinquished their policies, but insurers have an obligation to stop the spiral of price increases and to work with hospitals and others involved to reduce costs because they have a social objective, to make it attractive for people to keep their health insurance.

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