Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will follow through on the calls for a debate on the health service, nurses and patients. I was chairman of a hospital on one occasion and tried to have the patients called customers. The more we can remind hospitals and the health service that the patients are actually customers, the better. The issue that bothered me about patients not turning up was the tradition of calling everybody at the same time. In other words, if the consultant was coming in from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. he told everybody to come at 3 p.m. which resulted in a large number of people arriving at the same time. The administration of the health service will have to change in some form or other. It has changed a great deal and people are now given ten or 15 minute slots. That people do not turn up for their appointment is extremely frustrating for the hospital administrators. I understand there will be an opportunity for a debate on the issue and the sooner we have it, the better.