Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has called for clear, progressive, and ambitious commitments on health in the next Programme for Government.
Teachta Cullinane said that the long-term solutions – strategic investment, spending accountability, and workforce planning – for hospitals are well known, but were not put into action by the outgoing government.
He noted that a hospital bed plan was published by Minister Donnelly, but that the government never earmarked funding to deliver it.
The TD for Waterford said that significant reform can only happen if impactful investment is made across the health service as part of a comprehensive plan, and that both must happen together. He said that the totality of healthcare needs to be part of the picture, from prevention to GPs and primary care to hospital waiting lists and emergency departments.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“The health service has been through another really busy December with serious patient safety issues present across most hospitals from overcrowding and understaffing. These are predictable crises that are allowed to happen every year. They are made worse by the stealth recruitment embargo that is in place.
“The health service needs ambitious leadership from the next government. A fair and functioning public health service is not beyond us in Ireland. This needs clear and progressive commitments for delivering universal healthcare in the next Programme for government.
“The long-term solution lies in strategic investment, spending accountability, and workforce planning. These are essential to build up health system capacity, make hospitals safe, deliver safe staffing, and ensure effective use of public money. Sinn Féin set out comprehensive proposals last October. These need to be put into action by the next government.
“There are hundreds of people every day who need admission to a hospital bed, but one is not available. This is because there are not enough beds in our hospitals, and the alternatives for early discharge are not there in local communities. This leads to prolonged stays and more delays. There are also many people going to hospital because the alternatives in their local GP, pharmacy, or community health service cannot meet demand.
“Late in the last government’s term, the Minister for Health published an inpatient bed plan. This plan did not go far enough to address step-down and convalescence beds, which are needed to speed up discharge for hospitals, but it did identify the bed deficits across each hospital. The government did not earmark funding to deliver this plan. The next government must clearly ringfence capital funding to deliver these beds to reduce overcrowding in hospitals. The plan must be extended to cover community beds.
“The next government must also invest progressively and ambitiously in improving local public health services. Home support and local step-down capacity is needed to support and reduce pressure on hospitals. Helping people stay closer to home, and in their own home where possible, is essential for reducing pressure on hospitals. These services should be developed as public services and not through deeper reliance on for-profit operators.
“Significant reform can only happen if impactful investment is made across the health service as part of a comprehensive plan. The totality of healthcare needs to be part of the picture, from prevention to GPs and primary care to hospital waiting lists and emergency departments.
“Serious capital funding is needed to upgrade our hospitals, deliver new elective hospitals, re-fit and expand regional hospitals, and to deliver significant investment in primary care, community services, and digital transformation.
“Only a well funded and comprehensive programme of investment and reform will be enough to turn the tide on hospital overcrowding. Investment and reform must go hand in hand and happen together.”
