Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. Letterkenny general hospital is one of the hospitals that face these issues but this report, which was compiled by the HSE, the Royal College of Surgeons and the training bodies within them, states that for level 3 hospitals, this has to be done. The statistics I outlined apply to all level 3 hospitals, relating to non-permanency, the age profile of consultants and so on. If we are to deliver a proper health service, we have to address this. The report specifically calls for a targeted response to be put in place for the small number of hospitals where the measures can be tried out to see how they work, but the Department has not recognised that. In response to a parliamentary question I submitted, the Minister for Health stated the Department is basically going to take a scattergun approach, such that we are not going to learn anything from it or see any real changes, and that is the problem because we need to see changes in our health services. Everything the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, outlined about throwing money at the issue and so on is not going to work. We have to accept the population is growing and that the health services have to develop and improve, and to do that, the Government has to take on the board the report that is there.

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