Calls for an extra €1.4bn in health funding

HOSPITAL consultants have urged the Government to provide an extra €1.4 billion in funding for the health service next year.

Timely access to healthcare was a basic right that should not be denied even in “tightening” budget circumstances, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) insisted yesterday when it published its pre-budget submission.

“The Government has two choices — to fund what is required in the health service or tell the public that the funding is not there and where the cutbacks will be,” said IHCA president Dr Paul Oslizlok.

But he stopped short of telling the Government where they could find the money to fund the health service saying it would be arrogant for him to do so.

“It would be tragic to repeat the mistakes of 20 years ago when indiscriminate cuts caused lasting damage to the health service,” said Dr Oslizloc.

He said the IHCA’s submission confirmed Ireland still lagged behind most of the EU in health funding.

The IHCA said expenditure provisions for the Health Service Executive for 2009 needed to be increased by 9% compared with this year’s allocation, to take account of the known and likely cost increases facing the public health sector.

The association said some of the additional costs next year could be offset by “possible efficiencies” and savings if the consultation process in the health forum manages to reach a consensus on potential changes.

The IHCA’s detailed submission proposes a series of “restructuring” schemes including:

* Voluntary redundancy, voluntary early retirement and redeployment schemes for staff in management and administration grades.

* The most effective use of resources and other services in relation to the provision of emergency services in small hospitals, currently staffed round the clock.

* The merging of two HSE pillars — the National Hospital Office and the Primary Community and Continuing Care.

It said consultants had agreed to work a longer week, a more flexible day and “structured weekend inputs” on Saturday, Sundays and public holidays.

“The HSE and other staff grades should review practices in order to facilitate optimisation of the changes being provided by consultants,” it states.