Free hospital and GP care ‘within 5yrs’
»»Healthplan »»1,500 docs & to cost €5.8bn nurses needed
FREE hospital and GP care along with cuts to prescription costs were among the proposals in the Future Of Healthcare report yesterday.
The document puts forward a long-term ambition for a single-tier system, to replace the current public and private set-up, expected to cost €5.8billion in the next decade. The report, which was compiled by all political parties over the past 11 months, vows to “build confidence in the health service”. Health Minister Simon Harris said he was delighted cross-party consensus had been reached. He added: “I firmly believe this is the last chance of this generation to get this right and to take the politics out of health.” The plans will see every Irish citizen provided with a Carta Slainte, or health card, which will grant them access to a wide range of services based on need rather than ability to pay within five years. Universal free GP care will be phased in over a five-year period, at an estimated cost of €455million and will be means-based. Labour’s Alan Kelly, who sat on the committee, admitted compromises had to be made but every member stood fully behind the report. The TD added: “It’s a report that has an implementation plan, it has costings in great detail and it’s a report that will give confidence back to the people that frankly the biggest political issue of the last 20 years in healthcare can actually be addressed.
INVESTMENT
“It is a report that has a plan for investment across all sectors in the health service, to get more people working in the health service. “And also to ensure that people, who out of fear at the moment actually have health insurance – 44%, that they have a choice. “Most importantly, it is a report that upon its conclusion of being implemented, will ensure the money in your pocket isn’t the medium by which health service is decided.” The 10-year shift towards primary and social care is expected to cost €2.8billion, while a one-off €3billion is needed for capital investment. This includes diagnostic equipment for GPS and support staff for primary care – physiotherapists, home carers, nurses, social workers and speech and language therapists. An extra 900 nurses will be needed as well as 600 GPS. The plan said a 7% annual increase in the health budget can deliver the free care changes, costing about €400million every year. It does not say how the transitional funding of €3billion would be raised but it would amount to a need for about €500million over several years. Committee Chair Roisin Shorthall said waiting times will be limited to 18 weeks for inpatient care, 10 weeks for outpatient consultations and 10 days for diagnostic tests results. Fianna Fail will table a Private Members’ motion today to call for greater waiting lists transparency. TD Billy Kelleher also wants the National Treatment Purchase Fund to be expanded in next year’s Budget.