Opposition unite to reject new strategy

THE Government’s health service reform plan will not deliver any real improvements for patients, Opposition parties claimed last night.

Minister for Health Micheál Martin was accused of merely producing reports rather than delivering improved services.

Fine Gael health spokesperson Olivia Mitchell said that the Government had an appalling record of delivering on promises and achieving results in the health service.

The latest report, the 120th to date under Minister for Health Micheál Martin, shows the Government is more interested in activity than action, she said.

“The Government may hope that these recommendations will have the same distraction value as the publication of the Health Strategy did before the election,” Deputy Mitchell said.

According to Labour health spokesperson Liz McManus the Government’s response to the expert reports does not deal with the central deficiencies in the health system.

The Brennan and Prospectus reports were accountant-driven and deal with administrative reform rather than the needs of the patient, she said.

“Unless the Government is prepared to take other measures the underlying problems of the health service will remain,” the Labour deputy leader said.

The Government was trying to distract from funding cutbacks in the health service, Green Party health spokesman John Gormley said.

The structural reform was urgently needed but it had to be combined with investment in services, he said.

“The Government parties are trying to convince the public that radical structural reforms of the services will in itself solve the health crisis Deputy Gormley said.

Adding to the theme the plan was about bureaucratic change and not real reform, Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the two-tier public private system had to be ended.

“Elected representatives on health boards had a very minor role but they could scrutinise the delivery of health services on behalf of ordinary citizens ,” he said.