Only a ‘basket case’ would believe Minister Reilly

Health Minister James Reilly paints a rosy picture of the future of Irish healthcare (‘The Health Service Needs to Change and Now Is the Time’, Irish Examiner, April 10). It is interesting that his missive is juxtaposed with an article by Chris Goodey, who warns loudly of the crisis in general practice.

Minister Reilly contradicts a claim that universal health insurance (UHI) is delayed. He says he is on record stating that the full introduction of UHI would take “ten years, from the moment the current government came into power” (ie it would be completed by 2021). He is also on record as saying UHI would be ready in 2016, then 2019, and so on. Minister Reilly says it is good that his model of UHI (as opposed to the Dutch model, on which he is also on record as wanting to emulate) can be implemented in half the time. He quotes both the Dutch and UK models as comparisons, when lauding the speed of introduction of Irish UHI.

Both of these countries have serious issues with their health systems, despite an adequate run-in period of preparation, so Mr Reilly’s plan for an Irish UHI Rapide (my epithet) does not inspire confidence.