Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The answer to Deputy Adams's last question is "Yes". There has been extensive consultation in the last period with consultants, doctors, agencies, organisations, the people and with public representative about the major hospitals, the lower-tier hospitals and local hospitals. The impact of this is to have a situation whereby it is clear that medical personnel are working in teams in the interests of their patients. Generally, this has received a broad welcome from medical personnel working in hospitals. Contracts in future will no longer be to individual hospitals but to the group. There is an 18 month period for testing the effectiveness of this approach.

As the Minister pointed out, not every hospital can offer all specialties but there can be a system that operates in the interests of the patient across the country. These groups will eventually evolve into hospital trusts where chief executives and operators in each hospital will run their affairs in an efficient and effective way. We like to think we can by changing the structure of the delivery of hospital care make it in the best interests of every patient. Deputy Adams is an example of international health facilities and good luck to him in that. I am sure he could have got an even better service here in Ireland had he chosen to do so. This is one of the most fundamental changes in the structure of the delivery of health care through our hospitals in decades. It has taken extensive consultation to bring it to this point. There were a number of locations around the country where people were genuinely concerned that hospitals might close and they would be denied a range of services. That is not the case; the Minister has confirmed no hospital will close and smaller hospitals will have a range of different opportunities to provide services that are more appropriate for them and will keep them busy.

The Government is working very hard with medical personnel to reduce trolley waits. Consultants now see, treat and discharge patients on a 24/7 basis. The establishment of the hospital groups is another milestone in the changed structure and nature of health service delivery.

See this speech in context