Gino Kenny: Warns of political cost over healthcare waiting lists
Gino Kenny spoke to the minister about the state of the public health system, praising health workers for their pandemic response while warning about chronic waiting lists. He argued that a two-tier system, funding shortfalls and mismanagement have changed public expectations and urged the government to address recruitment and capacity.
Praise for health workers
The speaker began by commending doctors, nurses, auxiliary staff, care staff and all hospital workers for their efforts during the past 18 months, saying the public health system protected and saved many people in the most difficult circumstances.
Waiting lists and two-tier system
He recalled that Ireland had one of the highest waiting lists for inpatient and outpatient care in Europe and blamed funding and mismanagement for the current crisis. He warned that a split between private and public healthcare produces a dysfunctional system and harsher consequences for socioeconomically disadvantaged patients waiting for procedures.
Shlanta care and recent resignations
Responding to references to Shlanta care, he said recent resignations from that body do not bode well for reform. While expressing issues with the policy, he described Shlanta care as a vehicle that had been moving towards universal healthcare.
Changed parameters after the pandemic
He said the pandemic has fundamentally changed what the public will accept and that the government must address recruitment, capacity and the historical legacy of waiting lists. He urged the minister and government to focus on these parameters as they shape future policy.
Political consequences and warning
He concluded with a stark warning that failure to tackle waiting times will carry severe political costs that no doctor can remedy, urging urgent and decisive action on waiting lists, funding, recruitment and capacity.
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Thanks, Chair. Minister, I want to start on a very, very positive note in regards to the last 18 months, which have been testing, to say the least. The doctors, the nurses, the auxiliary staff, the care staff, and everybody that works in the hospital had the most challenging 18 months of their professional life. They saw their patients, they saw their loved ones, family members, die of this particularly terrible, terrible disease. And the public health system, you know, protected us, saved us, and, you know, it came at its greatest hour, you know, it saved many, many, many people in the most difficult of circumstances. And that's standing with that, Minister, the public health emergency that we have faced. Ireland before that had one of the highest waiting lists for inpatient and outpatient care in Europe. And as a consequence of that pandemic, I believe the parameters have changed fundamentally. And then parameters are what people accept and what they don't accept anymore. And on the funding and the kind of mismanagement of our healthcare system has led to this crisis of waiting times for procedures and surgical procedures. And that is completely not acceptable. And I think we all agree in that circumstances. But there's obviously a reason why that happens. And it's not a simplification to say that it's down to policy of successful governments. That is. If you look at the policies of a two-tier health system, which we have, you know, we have, it's private healthcare and public healthcare. And once you have that kind of, you know, split in society, then you will have a dysfunctional health system in its kind of guise. And I know Deputy Shorthall mentioned about Shlanta care. I don't think it bodes well in regards to the resignations recently. I think that it, you know, there's obviously reasons why those members have resigned from Shlanta care. And I think that's very, it doesn't bode well whatsoever in relation to reforming our health system. And Shlanta care was that vehicle. Well, I do have kind of issues with that, the policy of Shlanta care, but it was going in a general direction to see a universal healthcare system. And, you know, when we see waiting lists, there's obviously huge numbers and there's people behind them. But if you're from a socioeconomical disadvantage, waiting on a procedure or an operation, the consequences of that will be kind of severe. And you've seen in Britain, and again, Deputy Shorthall mentioned the NHS. And the NHS is a cherished institute in Britain. You know, it came from the ashes of World War II. And I think, I don't know who said it, but somebody said, if you don't give people a health system, they'll give you a revolution. And I think that's, you know, we have to learn the lessons of this pandemic, that the parameters have completely changed. And then parameters, Minister, are, you have to address the issues around recruitment, capacity, and the legacy, historical legacy, of, you know, those that are waiting and those that have that kind of, that split in society between private health care and public health care. So they're the parameters, Minister. It's up to your government to address them. I've seen your statement. I mean, it's positive enough. I think we're at the kind of the tail end of this pandemic in this country, hopefully. And I think, I mean, your government will kind of focus on trying to address these issues, because if you don't address the issues of waiting times, Minister, then, you know, the political cost will be extremely painful. And that no doctor can remedy. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you.
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