BREE SLAMS H.S.E. AT REGIONAL HEALTH FORUM ANNUAL MEETING

The Health Service Executive was severely criticised by the outgoing Chairman of the Regional Health Forum West, Cllr Declan Bree, at the annual meeting of the Forum in Galway this week.

“In the period since the health boards were abolished by the Government the level of public accountability in the health service has diminished significantly.  In my opinion some officials feel that they can do as they wish and that they are accountable to no one.” Cllr Bree told the meeting.

“When the Government abolished the health boards in 2004 it agreed that Regional Health Forums would be established to provide local elected representatives with a role in the formulation of policies and in the delivery of services.” he said  

“It will probably take another year or so to ascertain fully how meaningful or how influential the role of the regional health forums are, however I must say at this stage, that despite the immense good will and consistent co-operation of people like the Regional Director, Dr Sean Conroy and his staff, I am not over optimistic about the level of influence we will have in terms of the development of our health services either at a regional level or a national level.  

“In the period since the health boards were abolished by the Government the level of public accountability in the health service has diminished significantly.  In my opinion some officials feel that they can do as they wish and that they are accountable to no one.  In my view this must change.” said Cllr Bree.

“Over the 18 month period since this Regional Health Forum was established we have had numerous and well considered discussions and debates relating to the state of the health services in this region.  We have adopted many motions and made many recommendations relating to the improvement and development of the health services and copies of all these motions and recommendations were forwarded to Professor Drumm, and the Health Service Executive.  

“However to date we have never had a response from the Health Service Executive to any motion or recommendation adopted by this Health Forum.   It would appear that when they reach the Health Service Executive in Dublin they are placed in a filing cabinet never to be seen again.   We may as well be sending them to the Bermuda Triangle – for we never hear any more about them once they reach the bureaucrats in the Health Service Executive.

“In this context I would say to the Minister, to Professor Drumm and the Health Service Executive that if they are serious about reforming the health service then they had better listen to the concerns and views of local elected representatives.  

“It is the local councillors who are at the coal face in terms of articulating the concerns of local communities throughout this land.   We have an important role to play in terms of the debate about the future of our health services and we demand that our voices be heard.

“And it’s obvious that a real and significant debate has commenced with regard to the health service in this country and as far as I am concerned this regional health forum must have a significant say in that debate.  

“People must decide will the health service be market-driven or will it be patient-centred and developed in an integrated system where patients are treated, not on the basis on ability to pay, but on the basis of need?

“Across Europe the principal of solidarity protects the vulnerable as well as the better off.   But in Ireland we have a two-tier system in our hospital sector. The inequalities which exist in access and quality of care between the public and private patients in our public hospitals is unacceptable.” Cllr Bree said. 

“To-day over half the population in Ireland buy private health insurance in a country in which everyone is eligible to be a public patient.

“It would be wrong to say that those who buy private insurance do so to get special privileges.   It would be more appropriate to say that they do so to avoid the mistreatment that public patients suffer.   Instead of saying that people buy private insurance to be on the top tier, it would be more fair to say that they do so to avoid being on the bottom tier.

“When he addressed this Health Forum last year, the CEO of the Health Service Executive, Professor Drumm, told us that the two tier system in our public hospitals was unacceptable in modern Ireland.   I fully endorse his views on this issue.    Obviously there is a role for private medicine in private hospitals but there can be no justification for the taxpayer having to subsidise private medicine in our public hospitals

We are now a wealthy society and we can afford the highest quality healthcare for our people.  We have a world-class economy.  I believe that it’s time we had a world class public health service.” Cllr Bree concluded.