Equivalent of six large hospitals required according to IHCA
Equivalent of six large hospitals required according to IHCA
Healthcare rationing the new norm
Saturday 1st October 2016: The number of additional acute hospital beds that are required to provide an internationally acceptable health service in Ireland is equivalent to six large hospitals such as the Mater University Hospital or Cork University Hospital or Galway University Hospital according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). The President of the Association, Dr Tom Ryan, also said that, because of the existing capacity deficits, the public is being forced to accept healthcare rationing as hospitals continue to prioritise balancing inadequate budgets, with the provision of safe and timely care for patients being relegated to a secondary consideration. The IHCA today held its 28th Annual Conference in Kilkenny, which was attended by the Minister for Health, Mr Simon Harris TD and hospital consultants from across Ireland.
Speaking at the Annual Conference, Dr Ryan said: "The public has become immune to never-ending stories on the ‘crisis’ in our acute hospitals. However the many unresolved problems in our hospitals are now at such a critical level that patient safety is compromised on a daily basis. Many of our hospitals are running at an internationally unacceptable occupancy rate of more than 95% which has an adverse impact on patient safety.
"We have a failing hospital system which is rationing healthcare to patients. The reductions in acute hospital and ICU beds and the cumulative cuts in investment for equipment and infrastructure have resulted in a stark mismatch between patient needs for care and the means to deliver it. When the first priority of a hospital is to be ‘within budget’, then the result is longer waiting lists, trolley crises, overcrowding, cancellation of essential surgery and poor patient safety and care.
"There is an urgent need to strengthen healthcare governance in Ireland. Patient safety should be the first priority in all our hospitals and therefore each hospital and Community Healthcare Organisation should have a board, which includes patient representatives, GPs and practising consultants to which the management is accountable. This is not the case at the moment", said Dr Ryan.
"There is real opportunity in the proposed 10 Year Healthcare Strategy to address the critical shortage of hospital beds, support services and frontline staff, in order to provide care for the increased number of patients arising from our growing and ageing population. The Strategy must include a blueprint outlining the increased capacity and a yearly commissioning timetable. Anything less than this means that the Strategy will be seen as a ‘fudge’ that could set healthcare back for decades", concluded Dr Ryan.
ENDS
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