Health Service: Statements
Dr. Henry: I wish to share time with Senator Norris. He says he needs only a minute but I am sure he could have two.
An Cathaoirleach: Is that agreed? Agreed.
Dr. Henry: I welcome the Minister of State. There is no point in knocking spots off each other claiming this, that or the other about the health service because we have serious problems. The general public, if they manage to get treatment, get good treatment, but a large number of people are not getting the treatment they need or deserve. A huge amount of money has been pumped into the health service but 70% of it has gone on wages. I presume the Minster for Finance was present when the Government decided what the wage increases should be and I do not know why he is so surprised about where the money has gone. More money will be spent on benchmarking shortly. Although I do not question the necessity for or the desirability of the wage increases, considerable money has been invested in them.
Rash promises were made prior to the election about the introduction of services and the retention of small hospitals and people are angry because these promises have not been fulfilled. For example, a number of Senators referred to the improvement in cancer services in the west. They should speak to the oncologist who contacted me recently about the promised radiotherapy unit for the region. The unit will not be provided for several years, even though it was promised almost immediately. A radiotherapy unit was also promised in Waterford, although I do not know about the justification for locating it there.
Dr. Mansergh: It was not promised.
Dr. Henry: The people there told me that Government Deputies and Ministers promised the unit.
Dr. Mansergh: I support the unit but it was not promised by the outgoing Government.
An Cathaoirleach: Senator Henry, without interruption. Her time is limited.
Dr. Henry:It is terribly foolish of Senator Mansergh to call for local autonomy regarding health issues such as this. That is what happened in regard to Monaghan and Cavan hospitals. It is impossible to provide an accident and emergency unit at every crossroads and it would be wrong to do so. However, the Minister must make firm decisions in this regard.
The worst aspect of the health service is the terrible lack of morale among workers. Vested interests is another description for consultants. It has been proposed that newly appointed consultants should work only in the public service. That is absolutely splendid but what, in heaven's name, is the Minister of Finance doing giving tax relief to private hospitals when the existing ones are between 60% and 70% full? What sort of economic sense does that make? It is absolutely ridiculous.
Senator Feeney is a member of the Medical Council and she will be well aware that we passed with great haste in April 2002 an amendment to the Medical Practitioners Act so that non-EU doctors would find it easier to achieve permanent registration. Nothing has happened, yet there are problems all over the country because these doctors who were shoring up rural hospitals are not being allowed, quite rightly, by the Medical Council to work in them because they were not being trained. The council finally put its foot down and said it would not authorise such doctors to take up posts in hospitals where they would not receive training. There is delay in the appointment of neurologists, even though there are only ten in the State. There is one rheumatologist in the west. Is there no arthritis in Connacht? That is amazing. These problems are bad.
However, major progress has been made in other areas. For example, the survival rate of neonates and babies who weigh under a kilo is incredible, but it must be accepted that not all these children will survive without a great deal of remedial treatment as they grow up. Nothing has been put in place in this regard. I receive letters regularly. One woman asked where was early intervention for her two and a half year old child.
Treatment of heart disease is going well. People are not dropping dead where they stand due to the improved pre-hospital emergency services and intervention by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Ireland has a good survival rate but such patients need expensive treatment. Some of our great advances will continue to cost money and that must be accepted.
I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, is present because mental health is his bailiwick. Despite the investment in the health service, the proportion spent on mental health services has been reduced from 12% to 7%. This is not the Minister of State's fault. While it was decided that mental hospitals would close, which was good, community health services have not been established. I have sympathy for those who work in the community such as psychiatric nurses and social workers. However, a number of psychiatrists who accept posts working with the homeless then refuse to take them up because they have limited support services.
The Minister is correct to examine the cost of drugs. Prescribing generic drugs is not the only action that can be taken because branded generic drugs are only 10% cheaper than some of those produced the principal pharmaceutical firms. These companies must be taken on because we pay much more for pharmaceutical products than people in many other European countries. The reason is the Government makes a deal with these companies. Are we so influenced by our total dependence on the pharmaceutical companies for exports that we must tolerate such a bad deal? I will support the Minister of State on anything he can do with them.
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