Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has called for an immediate and significant ramping-up of capacity in our public system.

Deputy Cullinane said our public health system was not fit for purpose pre-pandemic, and has been limping from crisis to crisis in recent times held together by the heroics of those who work on the frontline.

Speaking today, Teachta Cullinane said:

“Hospital patients are waiting longer than ever. Over 900,000 people are on some form of health waiting list. Workers are burned out and are the thread keeping our health services together.

“The budget grows year-on-year with little to show for it. Big promises were made in Budget 2021 to increase capacity. But not all the acute, ICU and community beds promised were delivered. 

“With this government, promises come easy but delivery comes a poor second.

“Before the pandemic, delayed care was posing a major challenge for the HSE. Now, a tsunami of missed care is barrelling down on the health service.

“The latest cyberattack on the HSE has shown that the outdated IT systems that the health service is run on are not only hindering healthcare delivery, but are exposing the health service, staff, and patients to security risks.

“The impact of the cyberattack on systems has been so severe that patients have been exposed to increased clinical risk and delayed treatment.

“We cannot leave our public health system lurch from crisis to crisis. 

“With the Delta variant looming, we need an urgent plan to increase capacity to catch up on missed care and reduce waiting lists

“In the coming weeks, I will be launching comprehensive proposals on reducing waiting lists and better preparing the health services for the time ahead. We need a fresh plan and a fresh start.”