HSE budget controls will have consequences, warns Varadkar

Health Minister Leo Varadkar said the next government must look at the “consequences” of making the health service live within its budget, a day after backing a controversial HSE 2016 service plan.

He made the comments alongside his direct predecessor, current Children’s Minister Dr James Reilly at the launch of new legislation to ban smoking in cars carrying children.

Responding to questions about the scale of difficulties facing the system next year and the fact that no supplementary budget will be available if problems arise, Mr Varadkar said despite the negativity, it is possible to stay within budget.

However, he said if future governments are serious about solving Ireland’s ongoing health crisis, they must accept there are “consequences” of a system driven by service demand keeping within spending limits due to the knock-on impact on patient care.

“I think it is always possible to live within budgetary constraints but there are consequences of living within budgetary constraints. That’s obviously something the future government or next government is going to have to look at,” Mr Varadkar said.

HSE Budget: Drugs - Chief warns of ‘finite’ budget in 2016, writes @EvelynRing https://t.co/Hy2r23xLTY (DOD) pic.twitter.com/8MgpDmTbid

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) December 17, 2015

His comments came 24 hours after he told Newstalk radio he hopes to see an improved focus on the realities of healthcare in the next government, despite backing a budget plan for next year that the HSE admits carries “substantial financial risks”.

The document, which was published on Wednesday, includes warnings that public hospitals will be €100 million underfunded next year, while the HSE has “not been funded” for €30m worth of staff pay increments.

It also states that the last-minute cabinet decision to cut the number of medical cards by 50,000 instead of 125,000 means a further €30m will have to be taken from the State Claims Agency allocation and has raised concerns over funding available for hi-tech drugs, potential increased waiting lists for Fair Deal nursing home care, while cuts will be considered “as a last resort”.

At the launch of the plan on Wednesday, Mr Varadkar said he is “not contemplating any cuts” but may consider “deferring” planned new services, moving money from other areas of the system, taking it from other departments or using 2017 funds early.

HSE budget: Long-term care - ‘Little difference for elderly’, writes @EvelynRing https://t.co/0bcywjtBZ9 (DOD) pic.twitter.com/PrGlL1yuTm

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) December 17, 2015

During Leaders’ Questions, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said the Coalition has only achieved 4,000 less nurses, and waiting lists of 68,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients, saying “will you now apologise for that and admit you have no plan or vision”.

However, amid angry exchanges which saw Ms Burton labelled an “absolute disgrace” for claiming front-line staff are on her side, the Tánaiste said Ms McDonald simply “sought to read with force from your script” and “all I will say is it lacked conviction”.