Extending free GP care to all children under 18, plans to hire 700 nurses and delivering 300 extra hospital beds per year are among the Labour Party’s election promises aimed at transforming Ireland’s health service.
The party’s health spokesman Duncan Smith said it has been “almost accepted” that the “crisis” in health cannot be fixed but Labour believes it can be and the State has the resources to do it.
Speaking as he unveiled his party’s election pledges on health he claimed the outgoing Government has “squandered” billions in the area “without tackling and fixing the root problems”.
The extra 300 beds per year on top of existing plans would bring the total delivered over five years to 5,000.
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Labour would focus on “four key achievable areas” – investing in primary and community care; valuing healthcare staff; building enough beds and buildings; and using technology to improve outcomes.
The party is pledging to establish a €1 billion Sláintecare Transition Fund to accelerate reforms.
It says it would hire 50 GPs per year and expand GP training places by 20 annually. Labour would extend free GP care to all children from the current cut-off age of eight to 18 over the lifetime of the next government. It would lift what it argues is an ongoing recruitment embargo in health, and guarantee jobs for all health graduates.
Labour has a proposal to convert vacant HSE properties like Baggot Street Hospital into housing for key workers, and it would use €500 million of the Apple tax windfall to roll out digital health records.
Mr Smith said: “We cannot afford to continue on the current trajectory of overcrowded hospitals, staff shortages, and underfunded community services.” He said his party’s plan would “rebuild capacity and efficiency in our health service, support the healthcare workers and build a better healthcare system”.
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