Patient services 'targeted for cuts'
The Government was tonight accused of targeting patients’ services for cuts as health chiefs revealed €683m in savings next year.
The Health Service Executive said its services will be chopped on average by around 7%, but cuts to mental health and disability services will be capped at 1.8%.
Jan O’Sullivan, Labour’s health spokeswoman, said the plan will see significant cuts to services already at breaking point.
“There is much detail in this plan which will need to be looked at closely, and I am concerned that there may be further cuts, over and above the €683m, hidden away within the small print,” Ms O’Sullivan said.
“The Labour Party accepts that savings have to be effected in the health budget, as in every other area, but it seems that the Government has chosen once again to target services for patients, when there were other options for savings.”
Ms O’Sullivan said more could have been done to secure cuts in professional fees, through the greater use of generic drugs, and by charging the full cost of private beds in public hospitals.
Under the savings plan hospital in-patient admissions will be cut by 2%, while day case treatments will increase by 3%.
Cathal Magee, HSE chief executive, said it would be difficult to operate within the funding and staffing constraints in a way that minimises disruption to services.
“This service plan can only be delivered through the collective efforts of the health and social care professionals from all of our care disciplines and services,” he said.
“With the funding and employment constraints, including the impact of the recent exit programme on management and administrative resources, our services are now more than ever dependent on our people to continue to make the extra effort for our patients and clients.
“I am enormously encouraged by the leadership, commitment and goodwill of our staff in our health and social care services.”
Health Minister Mary Harney said health chiefs were being asked to deliver the same amount of service next year with less staff and money.
“This requires improvements in care pathways and also more flexible work practices in line with the Croke Park Agreement,” Ms Harney said.
“It is a challenge to everyone working in the health services to focus on delivering the innovation and change required to protect and indeed improve our services for patients.”
Ms O’Sullivan said the plan to cut inpatient treatment while increasing day care is welcomed in principle, but will only work if the resources and facilities are already in place to cope with the additional number of day cases.
“The combination of Mary Harney and Fianna Fáil has been lethal for our health system and it will be clearly up to the next government to start the process of rebuilding and repair,” Ms O’Sullivan said.
