FF criticises Reilly as budgets at ‘best hospitals’ are cut

Cutting the budgets of best performing hospitals shows how dysfunctional the health service had become under the leadership of Health Minister James Reilly, Fianna Fáil has claimed.

“Hospitals that have stuck to budgets and delivered savings are being penalised with significant budget cuts,” said Fianna Fáil’s health spokesman, Billy Kelleher.

HSE hospital funding allocations reveal that St James’s Hospital in Dublin faces the biggest budget reduction this year at 3.4% — a loss of almost €9m and a budget of €263m this year. A spokesperson for St James’s said he did not want to comment on the allocation.