There can be no complaint about the Government holding a Cabinet meeting to discuss problems in the health service. There can, however, be legitimate scepticism about a government - arguably now within sight of the next general election after four years in office - which, at this late hour, holds a meeting to discuss a problem which has been evident to patients and health professionals for well over a decade.
The Minister for Finance is on record after yesterday's meeting in Dundalk as stating that no financial decisions will be made until the Cabinet comes to prepare the Estimates in the autumn. Paradoxically, there is some sense in not making financial decisions until there is some collective clarity on the practical steps required to resolve the crisis. But little sense of urgency on the Government's part emerged from whatever took place in Dundalk, even though there is now some evidence to show that patients in medical and surgical need are dying on waiting lists when they require access to life-saving procedures.
Mr McCreevy, is certainly correct when he says the Government must be assured that it will get value for any further investment in the health services. Vast increases have been poured into health care during this Government's term with little or no discernible improvement in the delivery of necessary services to all citizens on the basis of medical need rather than on the ability to pay.
Money is not, of itself, going to remedy the current health problems. The Government must address the problems directly to find out what remedies are required in terms of actions, staff appointments and structural reorganisation. The services are still suffering a very significant deficit of staff, hospital beds and financial resources vis a vis the number and scope of treatments needed and the increasing size of the population in need, compared to two decades ago.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said after yesterday's meeting that an independent report from consultants, Deloitte and Touche, on the question of value for money in healthcare expenditure would be available "shortly". He also said that another review indicated that 5,000 additional hospital beds (at a capital cost of £400,000 each) would be required over the coming 10 years. And he indicated that more expenditure on Accident and Emergency departments was being provided. But the A and E departments are not bottlenecks slowing admission to hospital wards. Those hospital beds which are currently closed, are not available because of staff shortages. There should always be sufficient capacity in available hospital beds to accommodate an elective system of admission of patients referred by their general practitioners for direct admission to the wards without the punishment of having to wait on trolleys in A and E departments.
Mr Martin appears to be addressing his onerous and complex brief with some seriousness. But actions need to be taken and improvements made before yesterday's necessary, but belated, meeting can be considered as anything more than a pre-election starter to a Government public-relations campaign with little substance.