The Socialist (June 06) - Emergency action to end the health crisis

The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney has been bombarding the public with the “spin” that the crisis in the health service is not caused by a shortage of resources or cash but due to bad management.

So strong has been the propaganda from the government that it is now widely echoed by the media, sections of the so-called opposition and even by some in the health unions.

If it is the case that the health service has no problem with resources, then why is it that the northeast Health Service Executive is implementing cutbacks? In a move designed to meet budget constraints set by the HSE and ultimately by the government, the northeast HSE is planning to make €6.3 million in cuts that will directly impact on patient care. Cancer patients may now have to travel to Dublin for chemotherapy if these cuts are implemented and in a HSE document it states that “Patient safety could be compromised if the current arrangements are not further developed” i.e., increased cancer services not less!

The HSE may also stop plans to increase dialysis services at Cavan Hospital which will increase waiting lists and delay a planned refurbishment and expansion of the A&E unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital even though this “would compromise patient safety”. And these cuts are not just confined to one HSE area but may also be implemented in the west, northwest, southeastern, midlands and Dublin areas.

Lack of resources in Letterkenny General Hospital means that Donegal has no radiotherapy services or Breast Check programme. And now the hospital is no longer seeing new breast cancer patients because it does not have a breast surgeon. The lack of facilities at Letterkenny General has caused huge anger in the area and 7,000 protested for more resources in May.

The Mater Hospital in Dublin is also in financial difficulties and has told the HSE that its budget allocation is between €5 - €18 million less than it needs in order to “deliver what we would plan and are capable of delivering in the interest of patients”.

Even in June when there are less illnesses such as respiratory complaints, flu etc there has been up to 175 patients on hospital trolleys in A&E departments around the country.

Fianna Fail and the PDs are proceeding with their plans to shift more resources away from the public health service towards private healthcare even though it is widely recognised that the two-tier health service has failed. The Socialist Party welcomes the plan by the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association to hold a rally in the Helix in Dublin on 14 June to mobilise nurses in their campaign for a pay increase and a 35 hour week. However the health service unions should go much further.

The health crisis is the number one issue for working class people and the health unions have the authority to organise a nationwide campaign of health workers and local communities. This campaign could force the government not only to pay the nurses decent wages but to implement the necessary changes such as the extra beds that are needed to overcome the emergency in the country’s A&E departments. If properly organised, protests and demonstrations even bigger than the 100,000 - 150,000 who protested in support of the Irish Ferries workers could be mobilised.

The Socialist Party believes as a step towards free comprehensive health care for all in a public health system we need:

• Emergency measures such as the immediate provision of extra hospital beds and staff to get the sick off trolleys and end the waiting lists.

• End the abuse of the public health system by private medicine.

• For health clinics in all areas to provide primary medical care free of charge.

• Profiteering in health care should be ended by scrapping the two-tier health service and nationalising the pharmaceutical industry to provide cheap generic drugs.