Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Over recent weeks, the appalling condition of Ireland's health system, particularly the unacceptable waiting lists, has been to the fore. The Euro Health Consumer Index has ranked Ireland's health care system 21st out of 35 countries. Ahead of Ireland are countries with much lower incomes, such as Macedonia and Slovenia. Our accident and emergency unit waiting times are the worst in Europe. The report expresses surprise, which I imagine is tinged with disgust, over the low ambition of the HSE to have a target of no more than 18 months for a specialist appointment. We learned from the report that even if and when the target is reached, we will still have the worst waiting time in Europe.

I implore the Minister for Health to examine the Macedonian system, in which, through an uncomplicated e-booking system, a general practitioner can book an appointment with any specialist or any heavy diagnostic equipment in the country in real time while the patient sits in the room with him. The general practitioner has access to the diaries of consultants and can see where in the country a consultant has an opening. He can advise the patient based on need. In Macedonia, this system eradicated waiting lists in less than six months after start-up. In one year, the Macedonian rating in the Euro Health Consumer Index jumped from 27th to 16th. We could aspire to this.Experts have testified that Ireland would be a perfect candidate for a system such as this. Coupled with the Fianna Fail Party health policy proposal that all hospitals have 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. consultation times enforced and diagnostic scans available in public hospitals seven days a week, we could eradicate waiting lists here too.

I am well aware that the implementation of electronic systems in this country does not have a good track record. There will be plenty of people reminiscing on electronic voting and the Eircode system, but we need to realise that key targets on waiting lists were missed in 2014. The targets were widened in 2015 and still missed, and likewise in 2016. The current system is not working. We need a concerted commonsense effort, such as the Macedonian system, and I will be bringing this to the attention of the Chairman, Deputy Michael Harty, in the Joint Committee on Health, for consideration.