Report ‘could ruin National Health Strategy’

A WAR of words has erupted between the author of the Brennan Report and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) amid claims the report could sabotage the National Health Strategy.

Professor Niamh Brennan, who oversaw the Brennan Commission's value-for-money audit of the health service, dismissed claims by IMO GP committee chair Dr James Reilly that the report was "deliberately providing fodder to Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy to kill the health strategy."

"It is a skewed report carried out by people who looked at the price of everything and understand the value of nothing," said Dr Reilly.

"Professor Brennan accused GPs of fraudulent practice in relation to the medical card scheme, when we were paid by the health boards and the GMS payments board for dead medical card holders. If she had any knowledge of the way the GMS works, she would not have made that claim. We get a list monthly or annually of the names of patients covered by the GMS. However, when we receive GMS payments, they do not list the patient by name eg we may be told we are receiving payment for 20 female patients or 20 male patients without referring to them by name. Professor Brennan's claim that we are guilty of fraudulent practice is therefore a clear demonstration that she has no idea what she is talking about."

However, Professor Brennan hit back strongly at Dr Reilly's claims, saying she knew the GMS mistake occurred within the health boards/GMS payments board.

"I never claimed otherwise. However, the IMO is on record as saying it is not going to pay back money in instances where they have been overpaid. Not to do so would be a major fraud on the public purse."

"We did look at value for money and we found incredibly low standards."

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Hanly report on medical manpower will be published by Health Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin today almost four months after he received it.

The main recommendations are:

* 1,200 more consultants must be hired.

* Consultants on duty 24 hours every day of the week.

* Rationalisation of hospital services with the creation of centres of excellence and downgrading of many acute hospitals.

* Two pilot schemes to be set up in the mid-west and Dublin.