Harney appeals to INO for support in health care reform

The Tanaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney has appealed to nurses to support change and reform in the health system.

Ms Harney was addressing the Annual Conference of the Irish Nurses Organisation in Killarney today.

"There can be no health care that doesn't involve nurses. And so there can be no health reform without nurses playing their part in change, in reform and in the progress we all seek for patients," she said.

"Each change we make we make will add up to better services. We can also identify changes that would make Accident and Emergency provide faster services and a better working environment, for example, by better rostering of everyone working in A&E."

She added: "As Minister and as a member of the government, I have a primary role in relation to legislation, policy and budgets. A lot more people than the Minister have influence over how hospitals manage beds, how people roster their time, how people engage in professional development and training, and how patients and their families are treated."

Ms Harney said there was no "iron law" that said Irish hospitals must be stuck with inefficient bed management, over-crowded A&E departments and a dearth of affordable long-term care places.

"There is no reason why Irish health services cannot rank among the best in the world," she said.

She urged nurses not to see the health system as "having a life of its own."

"A lot of us feel the health system has a life of its own, and can't be influenced or changed. The truth is that we each play a part in influencing the system as a whole."

Ms Harney praised the work of the country's 49,000 nurses and said she was pleased that the number of nursing vacancies had fallen.