Mary rides again, on our long suffering backs.

grahamo

Villain wrote: »

The vote went 75-65 for the Vaccine to be withdrawn, get onto every Government TD you know and ask them to justify that decision!! A disgrace a total disgrace.

Totally agree! I hope the TD's that voted for the government have the balls to explain their actions to their constituents. A lot of these arrogant feckers still don't realise that they work for US! I hope everyone e-mails their local TD to ask about yesterday's voting.

The Insider

Have to say I would be going against the grain here and defending Harney. I think she has been the best health minister in my living memory. I think she was hindered when she couldn't get the person she wanted to head up the HSE, I don't think Drumm is up to the job.

Through my own personal experiences I have seen an improvement in the health services. Had no private health care and injured my knee, before the National Treatment Purchase Fund the waiting times though public health care for the operation I needed was anything between 18 - 24 months.

Was on the waiting list for 3 months which entitled me to go through the purchase fund, was seen by the top orthopedic surgeon in the country, had my operation in the Mater private all under my public health care and within 4 months of contacting the purchase fund. Its a fantastic scheme and is a major improvement.

I have also been in A&E(in both Beaumount and the Mater public) in relation to some health problems my family and I have had on numerous occasions in the past 2 years. There has been a continuous improvement in the waiting times, indeed the last time I was in there I was seen to (including a number of tests, x-ray etc) within 2 hours.

Change in the Health sector will take years as its being in a bad state for decades, I suspect history will look back favourably on Harney as the person who finally sorted out the health service mess.

Villain

The Insider wrote: »

Have to say I would be going against the grain here and defending Harney. I think she has been the best health minister in my living memory. I think she was hindered when she couldn't get the person she wanted to head up the HSE, I don't think Drumm is up to the job.

Through my own personal experiences I have seen an improvement in the health services. Had no private health care and injured my knee, before the National Treatment Purchase Fund the waiting times though public health care for the operation I needed was anything between 18 - 24 months.

Was on the waiting list for 3 months which entitled me to go through the purchase fund, was seen by the top orthopedic surgeon in the country, had my operation in the Mater private all under my public health care and within 4 months of contacting the purchase fund. Its a fantastic scheme and is a major improvement.

I have also been in A&E(in both Beaumount and the Mater public) in relation to some health problems my family and I have had on numerous occasions in the past 2 years. There has been a continuous improvement in the waiting times, indeed the last time I was in there I was seen to (including a number of tests, x-ray etc) within 2 hours.

Change in the Health sector will take years as its being in a bad state for decades, I suspect history will look back favourably on Harney as the person who finally sorted out the health service mess.

The problem Insider is she hasn't sorted it out and she wasn't abel to sort it during years of massize rises in GDP with surplus budgets so now that we have come to the downturn where spending has to be reduced I really can't see how she will be able to sort the system

Some in-roads have been made in some areas but many many issues still excist, an elderly family friend just spent 2 days on a trolley in A&E with a broken hip.

MRSA is still a huge problem along with many more problems, the vaccine is just one example and remember this Vaccine was announced just last August, what does it tell you that Harney could announce this then only 3 months later pull it back, they can't even manage their finances for that kind of time frame.

A little bit done a hell of a lot more to do imo

Macha

Sorry TheInsider, but factual and statistical analysis is more relevant than personal anecdotal evidence.

The Insider

taconnol wrote: »

Sorry TheInsider, but factual and statistical analysis is more relevant than personal anecdotal evidence.

Fair enough, have a read of this then whilst it shows there are huge areas to make improvement on, I think it shows that improvement is being made:

http://news.eircom.net/breakingnews/general/14236769/?view=Standard

Irish healthcare system rated 15th in Europe

on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:12:41

Ireland's healthcare system is now ranked as having the 15th most consumer-friendly healthcare system in Europe, up one place on last year, according to a new study.

The 2008 Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI), which was launched today in Brussels, shows the Netherlands leading the ranking of 31 countries with a score of 839 points out of a possible 1,000. It is followed by Denmark, Austria, Luxemburg and Sweden.

In six categories, covering 34 performance indicators, Ireland scored 643 points out of a possible 1,000, placing it at 15th in the rankings. These six categories cover waiting times for treatment, e-health, outcomes, patient’s rights and information and the range and reach of services.

In 2006, there was public outcry when Ireland was ranked 25th out of 26th states for its healthcare system in the index.

Ireland was ranked bottom of the rankings last year when it came to waiting times for patients to access services.

According to the latest rankings, there have been significant improvements in waiting times over the last few years with Ireland scoring highly for waiting times for major not-acute operations in particular. However, Ireland scored poorly for direct access to specialists, cancer therapy and MRI scans.

"The Health Service Executive (HSE) reform seems to have started improving a historically dismal performance. The severe waiting list problems seem to be improving, and so are outcomes," the report said.

“We can notice some improvements with regards to outcomes, which is always considered the most vital area of the index,” added Dr Arne Bjornberg, research director for the EHCI.

Nonetheless, the report authors suggested that more should be done to cut waiting times for most treatments. It also recommended the introduction of a patient’s rights law and said that Ireland should make more inroads in terms of e-health.

First published in 2005, the EHCI is sourced from public statistics and independent research.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

The Insider

Out of the 3 areas that we scored poorly in the above report (direct access to specialists, cancer therapy and MRI scans). Cancer therapy and direct access to specialists are the two things Harney is tackling now with the new consultants contracts and the new cancer specialist units.

Macha

The Insider wrote: »

Ireland's healthcare system is now ranked as having the 15th most consumer-friendly healthcare system in Europe, up one place on last year, according to a new study.

15th out of 31st means we're right in the middle - not very good, considering we're one of the richest nations on the list. I mean other countries on the list include Romania, Estonia, etc.

I accept things are improving-thanks for the report

The removal of the vaccine programme is a step backwards, not only because more women will contract HPV and go onto develop cancer but also because it is a sign of:
a) the lack of preventative medicine
b) the total stupidity and inability of this government to think 5-10 years ahead.

ALFIET

I am sorry. There is no justification for the situation that this country finds itself in in terms of health

Mary promised cervical cancer vaccines in August... 2008 not 2000.... She and the govt knew that the recession was taking hold... 6 weeks later they reverse their decision, go back on their word.

They have lost all sense of credibility. Do they understand or care about the common joe soap.

They can find 10 million no problem and have done when needed when the depts simply made a few small changes

Who is the Govt listening to in terms of advice.

This is NOT an Ireland I am proud of ...

jmayo

nesf wrote: »

Just on this point, he should have no control over our Central Bank. Independence in the Central Bank, and to an extent the Financial Regulator is very important. Otherwise you're just opening it up to potential corruption and cronyism from the political establishment.

I thought the Central Bank was meant to be an arm of Dept of Finance in that it could set rates etc at the behest of government ?
There has to be some interaction between government and Central Bank, otherwise how can government ever dictate any policy?

Well Mr Financial Regulator was supposedly independent, but to most people he just looked like a bank lackie.

Villain wrote: »

Joe Behan voted with the Government on this one!!!

Ah yes I can wait to see the reaction he gets next time he is campaigning in Bray.
He is just another f***er that still wants to be in the party.
Some conscience he has.
He didn't have a conscience previously about schools with poor buidling or water charges when he quiet happily ran on the FF ticket.
Then he suddenly found it reprehensible that pensioners and children were being tragetted in the budget, but low and behold he doesn't see anything wrong with allowing a few 12 year old girls get cervical cancer 20 years from now when it could be prevented :rolleyes:

Yeah real nice guy who stands by his principles :rolleyes:

ednwireland wrote: »

i give him more credit if he had voted against that would have taken real courage

Yeah if McDaid really wanted to show his true courage why not vote against the government's proposal.
Another show about making a stand.

nesf

jmayo wrote: »

I thought the Central Bank was meant to be an arm of Dept of Finance in that it could set rates etc at the behest of government ?
There has to be some interaction between government and Central Bank, otherwise how can government ever dictate any policy?

You're presuming that we would want the Government to be dictating Central Bank policy which isn't a given. There are sound economic reasons to favour independent central banks like the ECB and the Bundesbank of old. Google it, there's a broad and varied literature on the subject.