Increases to health budget 'not sustainable', says Watt

Department of Health Secretary general Robert Watt said that making crucial decisions must use up-to-date research and "can’t be just what some lobbyist said on 'Morning Ireland' ". Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

The most senior civil servant in the Department of Health has said that it is “not sustainable” to maintain the annual increases in spending to the health budget seen during the pandemic.

Secretary general Robert Watt told a conference there should be a “significant focus” on how to improve productivity and efficiencies in the health service in the coming years, as he denied the suggestion that the health service is “underfunded”.