A chara, – In 2011, Fine Gael issued a document, Faircare, on transforming healthcare services should it be elected. Many of the proposals contained therein were laudable if a trifle optimistic. It became clear, however, over the Government's term that many of the proposals have been deferred or abandoned. The proposal to extend medical cards to patients on the long-term illness scheme was abandoned due to legal difficulties. Sufficient legal advice was apparently not taken to foresee this eventuality. The proposal for a Dutch-style insurance based model of universal health insurance has been deferred, and many suspect this will be quietly dropped after the next election. There are other examples where, if the proper planning and preparations had been made, these complications could have been avoided.
The Government is negotiating a new general practice contract with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO). It has excluded the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), which represents at least a third of the relevant stakeholders. I fear that history is repeating itself and any contract that does not involve all of the stakeholders will not serve patients or their doctors well. I am a member of the IMO and have no affiliation with the NAGP but common sense would suggest that it be involved. – Yours, etc,
Dr SEAMUS McMENAMIN,
Navan, Co Meath.