Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are stuck within a health service where lengthy waiting lists appear to be a permanent feature. Approximately 400,000, which is one in 12, are currently on the outpatient waiting lists while well over 50,000 are waiting for procedures. It is recognised that the care provided by staff once a patient gets into hospital is generally of a very high standard.

Why the mismatch in access to hospitals? The Minister and HSE will have to come to grips with the chronic situation and the continuous gridlock by which sick and urgent medical cases are on an endless journey to secure proper treatment for the majority of the population who are deprived of treatment. In many cases, private consultants refer outpatients back to the public service for procedures so they move from one list to another. They may need to be seen by a consultant in the public service and end up being double handled, which is a ridiculous situation.

It is completely unacceptable and morally wrong to have seriously ill patients accommodated on trolleys in hospital emergency departments. On any given night approximately 300 to 400 patients will be on trolleys in wards and corridors. The recent trend in the numbers on trolleys is increasing, if anything, as the demand for hospital services increases and the system struggles to discharge elderly patients. We must reinvest in capacity to meet demand. During recent years, we have lost hundreds if not thousands of beds from the service. We must also keep patients out of hospitals. Preventative measures and programmes must be put in place at GP level. Operating theatres should have better outputs and returns and should be used for longer hours and with appropriate staff in place. It is wrong to have people waiting for something that can be corrected in a reasonable manner with no extra moneys involved.

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