No Confidence Motion in Mary Harney November 2007

Posted on November 28, 2007 at 02:47 PM

Why is it that in this country of ours, that people must endure a gargantuan

struggle to attain the most basic access to Health Services?

Why is it that in my own constituency of Cork East no less than 100 General

Practitioners deem it necessary to write to the Minister for Health and Professor

Drumm to express concern about inadequate services?

Why is it that those same GPs despair when the Minister speaks of creating Centres of

Excellance around tertiary hospitals that result in a diminution of services in

secondary care facilities?

And why is it that, when GP's at Primary care level deal with up to 20 million

consultations per annum, requiring only 5% referral, the vast majority of which are

best cared for within a local (or secondary) hospital, does the Minister insist on

funnelling more and more patients into tertiary centres that are not able to cope at this

point in time.

I refer specifically to the relationship between Mallow General Hospital and Cork

University Hospital, whereby a deliberate policy of running down the services of

MGH exists in an attempt to funnel more and more patients into CUH.

This policy exists in spite of the fact that the catchment area of Mallow General

Hospital serves over 100,000 people.

If the Minister insists that CUH will become the Centre of Excellence, then those 100

GP's insist that common surgical and medical illnesses can be treated within the local

hospital structure.

But will the Minister listen to these concerns?

When Peter Naughton told the Minister in 2005 that breast cancer services at Port

Laoise was a "shambles" did she listen to his concerns?

.

This issue goes to the heart of this motion. We have seen by stealth the gradual

erosion of the General Hospital structure in favour tertiary centres. GPs and other

professionals have been telling the Minister for years that services are not adequate.

Tertiary centres that are unable to cope.

It is the view of these 100 GP's in North Cork, and they have stated this in writing to

the Minister, that the delivery of quality health services will not be achieved in areas

such as cancer care, if patients requiring secondary level of care are directed into

tertiary hospitals such as the CUH.

But will she listen?

It is also their view that current proposals will result in longer waiting lists, cancelled

procedures and inefficiency in bed management.

If this motion achieves nothing else tonight, it will have put down a clear marker to

the Government that the issue of political accountability must be placed at centre

stage in terms of health care delivery.

That the Minister for Health has been forced to give an account of her actions, to my

mind is a victory for political accountability.

No longer will the people of this country endure a system that leaves no person or no

body answerable for the lack of delivery of cancer care and other services.

Our role as an opposition party, and as equal representatives of the people must be

respected.

And if we deem it necessary to seek answers on behalf of the countless victims of the

current health care regime then the Minister must respect that and must respond in

kind.

In the case of PortLaoise, the issue of inadequate delivery of cancer services was

flagged by a Consultant. It was reported to the Minister directly and the Minister did

not act with due diligence on this matter.

Will the Minister, if she survives this motion of no confidence, from now on, listen to

those operating at the coalface when they express concern about delivery of services?

Will she listen to the concerns of those 100 GP's who took it upon themselves to write

directly to her in a similar vein to Peter Naughton?

We, the members of the Labour Party, through this motion and by implication, seek to

ensure that from now on, from this day forward, the rights of patients are vindicated

and when a Consultant or a GP states in a letter that services are being compromised

and lives are being put at risk that the Minister will listen and will respond and will

not abdicate her responsibility.

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