Seanad debates
Tuesday, 25 March 2003
Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage.
I am concerned about value for money in the health service. Let me tell the House of something that happened in the Mater Hospital yesterday. A man went in for throat surgery for cancer. There were two medical teams, oncologists and plastic surgeons, all ready, but they then had to cancel, because budgets were not met. They were obliged to stand around and do nothing, though they were being paid. Some part of the budget did not kick in. That happened on another occasion recently in the Mater Hospital. Medical staff were obliged to stand around and not attend to the public patients, though funds had been allocated, but not to certain aspects of treatment, yet the State is spending money on sending public patients abroad to be catered for in the private sector. I mention the Mater Hospital because I know something about it, but I am sure such situations occur in other hospitals.
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