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.

Only a ‘basket case’ would believe Minister Reilly

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.

Let us dissect the three phases of Mr Reilly’s UHI:

1. “The goal of this stage is to make the current health system both more efficient and higher quality”. Mr Reilly avers that more people are being seen more quickly, fewer people are on trolleys, and fewer patients are waiting for inpatient treatment. !! Why, then, is there a conflicting story from GPs, hospital consultants, nurses and any patient unfortunate enough to have to attend an emergency department, or have to wait for a public hip replacement? Mr Reilly says that he will publish “a new plan” in the coming months, which will show how lengthy waiting lists ! will be a thing of the past. Risible.

2. This will see “major structural change to our health system”. His UHI adds another massive layer of bureaucracy to the health system, as did the HSE when it was set up.

Phase two reads like a bureaucratic blackhole and an administrative nightmare, with a huge diversion of resources into management and administration. Nowhere is there any mention of frontline workers, services or hospitals — this is telling.

3. The final phase is “the rollout of UHI and free GP care at the point of access”. We are told “everyone on the medical card will have their insurance paid for”. This is 45% of the population. And “the State will subsidise those on low and middle income”. Is this the 23% that has neither a medical card, nor private health insurance?

This leaves the cohort with health insurance (44% and declining rapidly) in the invidious position of having to finance, through more taxes and hefty UHI levies, the healthcare of the majority of the population.

The “basket of services” that will be available to the people of Ireland will be much the same, or less, than what is currently available from the HSE behemoth. In a broke country in which more than half of the population will not be paying for it, this “basket” will be quite small.

Therefore, the minority of Irish people, who will pay for everything, will need to pay even more to upgrade ‘their “basket’ to the level of functional healthcare. This will cost them even more. Et voila — a two-tier system.

Mr Reilly blithely throws in free GP care as a selling point for his ludicrous plan. Meanwhile, on the same newspaper page, the CEO of the National Association of GPs decries the destruction of this sector by Mr Reilly’s government.

Mr Reilly proposes a very Irish solution to an Irish problem. You’d have to be a ‘basket’ case to believe him.

Dr Dónal Punch

Secretary

National Association ofGeneral Practitioners (NAGP)

Mayfield Family Practice

Cork

More in this section

Revoiced

Newsletter

Sign up to the best reads of the week from irishexaminer.com selected just for you.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited