Martin must deliver on promises

A THREE-HOUR long Dáil debate on what has been billed as the most fundamental reform of the health service is hardly sufficient to deal with the serious issues at stake.

At this stage, it is a matter of opinion as to whether the elaborate proposals outlined a week ago by the Minister for Health, Mícheál Martin, are a placebo or a realistic approach to what is an exceptionally unsatisfactory service.

Under the reform proposals, health boards are to be abolished and replaced with a central health executive and four regional offices, and a national hospitals agency will run the country’s hospitals.

Yesterday was the first opportunity TDs were given to discuss the proposals, and the Brennan and Prospectus reports on which they are based, since they were announced by Mr Martin last week.

At the end of the session on the health reforms, Mr Martin called for balance and perspective in the debate claiming that “huge progress” has been made over the past five years.

However, throughout yesterday’s Dáil debate Mr Martin got a predictable response from the opposition, who claimed the reforms will not improve the delivery of care to patients, and will make the system less accountable.

Indeed, it is perplexing for the general public to appreciate how Mr Martin can claim huge progress has been made in the last five years when they can see very little, if any, proof to support his assertion. The health service, despite the € Whatever about Mr Martin’s aspirations for a balanced debate, vested interests from consultants to politicians on health boards, and others, will have to be dealt with firmly and decisively, if the reforms are to deliver even half of what is promised.

Mr Martin insists the reforms will be a crucial factor in achieving the improvements in healthcare which the public deserves.

Whether that will happen only time will tell, but it will entail a root and branch revamp of the system, and the attitudes of those who manage the system.

The current system is proof that merely throwing money at the health system will not produce a good one.9 billion poured into it, is bad value for money and is failing to deliver what people expect.