The Freedom of Information Act has created a resistance to quality in the healthcare system, a conference organised by the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Department of Health and Children has heard.
Prof Austin Leahy, a senior lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons, said the model adopted in the Republic was not appropriate. "The Government . . . introduced a Freedom of Information Act based on the Australian freedom of information act. Unfortunately they didn't care to find out the Australian government twice amended that act to protect quality research," he said.
A "fear and blame" culture and stress among healthcare professionals also worked against the provision of quality care, Prof Leahy added. There needed to be a multi-disciplinary approach among different healthcare professionals to improve quality. There should also be improvements to quality-assessment programmes and a change of culture with regard to patient care.
The Minister of State for Health and Children, Ms Mary Hanafin, told the conference there needed to be greater focus on patients. Ms Ainna Fawcett-Henesy, regional adviser for nursing and midwifery at the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe, said poverty was the major cause of ill health leading to premature death and disability. "But despite more money being spent on health services in almost all countries, the health of many is worsening," she said.
None of the 51 states in the European region of the WHO had reduced the inequalities between rich and poor, Ms Fawcett-Henesy said.