The health service has seen an increase of 5% in the face of a 10% inflation rate, which means even worse services. The situation is hopeless in my area of Longford-Westmeath – the Midlands Health Board area. In Longford-Westmeath Hospital patients, including those insured with the VHI, are on trolleys as we speak, waiting for beds despite the fact that fully equipped units are in place – two in Mullingar – which could accommodate 12 patients but we are waiting for €1.3 million in Government funding to staff and operate them. Even to maintain pre-budget services, hospital managers' budgets would have had to rise by €350 million. The actual increase was in the region of €26 million. Drugs refund and long-term illness schemes have been cut by 10% in real terms.