Backbench FF deputies put pressure on Martin

FIANNA FÁIL backbenchers are intensifying their pressure on Health Minister Micheál Martin to give local politicians a place on the new health agencies and bodies to be launched tomorrow.

As part of the radical reform of the health service, the country’s 11 health boards will be replaced by a National Hospital Agency to run acute hospitals and Health Service Executive Agency and four regional boards to run other services.

Fianna Fáil backbenchers are strongly opposed to the plan because they believe local politicians are needed to represent the people’s interests.

Two Fianna Fáil Senators, Marc McSharry and Eamon Scanlon, have tabled a motion for the parliamentary party meeting on June 24 demanding that local councillors be retained on the health bodies and agencies.

“We want the minister to tell us why he wants to remove politicians from these bodies. We believe it is vital to keep them there to fight for local hospitals that are threatened with downgrading,” Senator McSharry said.

One of the reports commissioned by Mr Martin has recommended that hospital services be streamlined to create centres of excellence for different medical procedures. This will inevitably lead to the downgrading of several acute hospitals around the country.

Oireachtas Health Committee chairman Batt O’Keeffe believes it is vital local politicians be allowed to sit on the new four regional health boards. “A lot of acute hospitals are facing downgrading and community hospitals could be shut down if local politicians are not there to fight for their corner,” Deputy O’Keeffe said.

Mr Martin must ensure that public representatives are nominated to these regional boards and that there is a consumer interest on the national hospital agency, he said.

“Otherwise we will just have medical professionals sitting on these boards and they will no doubt be pushing their own self-interests,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Under the new system, patients coming from acute hospitals may find it difficult to get a place in community hospitals when they are discharged, the Oireachtas Health Committee chairman warned.

“This is because they will be run by two different agencies so some mechanism must be put in place to integrate the work of the national hospital agency and the community care hospitals,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Fianna Fáil Limerick East TD John Cregan also believes local politicians must be allowed representation on these new health bodies and agencies.

“I know we cannot have centres of excellence at every crossroads and need to look at the broader picture, but politicians must be retained on the new bodies to ensure the local interests are represented properly,” he said.

Dáil deputies and senators who sit on health boards will not be eligible to sit on any of the new bodies or agencies because of the ban on the dual mandate.

The Department of Health would not make any comment on the new health plan until the Cabinet has given it its full consideration today.