Opposition to Government plans for building private hospitals on the grounds of public hospital sites has been voiced by medical practitioners, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO).
At a press conference in Dublin today, representatives of the Health Services Action Group said a move towards the American model of healthcare through privatisation should be resisted.
Dr Christine O'Malley, vice-president of the IMO, said the promised 1,000 additional beds promised under this scheme would have little or no effect on front-line accident and emergency services.
"It is very expensive to treat emergency patients, people in crashes or who become seriously ill suddenly. You need large, specialist teams. But private hospitals don't do emergency care." She claimed that subsidising private hospitals was not good value for money.
"I am very conscious as a doctor speaking out that we in the health service are holding it together with pins and string. They [the Government] keep shifting blame as to which staff group is responsible. First it was nurses, then consultants and now administrators.
"If you are seriously sick now, and need treatment now, and cannot wait for an elective appointment, you go to the accident and emergency unit of a public hospital. That will still be the case if these private hospitals are built. What we are saying is that the resources are needed by the public hospitals."
Dr John Barton said using the example of the American experience, investor-owned hospitals actually increase the cost of healthcare. For-profit hospitals tend to over-diagnose patients to increase profits, he said.
Madeline Spears, INO president, said health service professionals could not understand why the broadly supported Health Strategy 2001 had not been funded and was now being replaced by less suitable alternatives.
"The Health Strategy was an excellent document. But it has not been funded. One any given day there are between 170 and 200 people on trolleys in accident and emergency wards. The issue is one of capacity".
Dr Peadar O'Grady, a consultant psychiatrist, said the changes were being driven by economic PD-led policy, not healthcare. He said the "fourth PD in Government", former minister for finance Charlie McCreevy, was the minister who allowed subsidies for private, for-profit hospitals.
- The Health Services Action Group is holding a conference on Saturday, November 26th in Liberty Hall to discuss this issue. The speakers include, Prof Allyson Pollock, Ms Spears, Fintan O'Toole, Dr Barton and Dr O'Malley. The conference starts at 9.30am.