I think it’s important to note that the HSE are not in the position they’re in (regarding budget deficit, long wait times in A&E etc.) because it is underfunded. It is actually quite the opposite, the HSE is one of, if not the, highest funded health services in Europe.
The fundamental problem is how the funds are being allocated within the HSE. A bloat of middle management and mismanagement of funds is what has cause this crisis.
This is exactly how it can happen. We’ve seen it with some sectors of transport over the sea. Erosion of physical resources and infrastructure, public frustration, mismanagement etc. Then the only option left is to flog it all off, as though that were not the intention all along.
I do not believe a national health service in competition with predatory private providers and insurance companies is safe in the hands of our two forever-alternating centre-Right parties. Shiny new hospitals would be very handily acquired by insurance companies, and in this aspect of our culture and society we’d very easily resemble the fabled 51st state. We need representatives who are strongly on the side of support for a confident, respected, and well-managed national health service.
We deserve all we (do not) get if we remain, yet again, on this path come election time.
I’m not against privatisation if properly regulated.
I’ll acknowledge that I am very fortunate to have private health insurance because I desperately need it after a very rough year with multiple health issues. I’ve spent 9 weeks in total in hospital (not all consecutively).
I was in a private hospital after a procedure, there were some complications and I had high levels of pain as a result. They had me on very high amounts of pain killers and they needed to admit me but they didn’t have the capacity because they had agreed to take in a number of HSE overflow patients and ironically had to get an ambulance to transfer me to a public hospital that night. It was an unusual situation and staff in the private did everything they could but I needed proper aftercare that they couldn’t give due to capacity constraints from taking in HSE overflow cases.
Now like I’ve said I’m suffering with very poor health. I’ve experienced public and private care. I have to question how private care can do so much better even down to something as simple as food. I once went from public to private after one bad health incident and it was like leaving a war zone to go to a palace with proper care and also food. Something as simple as the food which is crucial when your convalescing, you need high nutrition to help you heal. The food was completely inedible in the public no flavour and just horrible, I went to the private and I ate like a king. The food was delicious and all the meal selections are full of nutrients.
The HSE have no clue how to properly run our health system. Too many layers and too many people over people or departments. If someone came in, stripped it down and rebuilt we could actually have a proper system and wouldn’t need private health care.
Any attempt to bring in an American style system here must be met with as many boots on the ground as possible and extreme resistance.
I know it’s not entirely free here compared to some countries, but fuck going into hospital for a week and being charged more per night than staying in the Burj Al Arab’s penthouse.
This has always been my fear. Run something into the ground so much that “Only the private sector can help”
Only on the condition the money we spend on the HSE is given back to us so we can pay for private. Don’t we pay something like 7,000 for every citizen per year to the HSE. I’m not paying that and private.
I can’t get an appointment to see my GP in a reasonable timeframe so I use webdoc.
I can’t get anywhere near a consultation with a HSE psychologist in the community clinics, so I pay out the arse for a private one.
I pay over a hundred quid a month to VHI bevause If I have a minor accident I can avoid the shitshow of an A&E unit. Or so I can at least see a consultant within the next 12 months if I ever need to if I develop some sort of non life treathening, but still life worsening illness or injury.
What a great public health system we have here though!
It is not an exaggeration to state that doubling the HSE’s budget would be cheaper than privatising healthcare.
The concept of private healthcare belongs in the feudal era where doctors were also barbers and dentists.
Lol. Straight from the Tory/Republican playbook. More money for the private sector at the cost of the public. Its so obvious at this stage.
Be great. Private healthcare is brilliant in this country. The more the better.
This will be the nail in the coffin for me. If healthcare is privatised, I’ll be selling my house and moving abroad.
Try and get child services for ASD assessments or anything psychological related in Dublin/Laois area and you will find even privately it’s 6 months plus waiting because the HSE is now diverting everything to private practices.
14 comments
i was loving those 10 hour waits
I think it’s important to note that the HSE are not in the position they’re in (regarding budget deficit, long wait times in A&E etc.) because it is underfunded. It is actually quite the opposite, the HSE is one of, if not the, highest funded health services in Europe.
The fundamental problem is how the funds are being allocated within the HSE. A bloat of middle management and mismanagement of funds is what has cause this crisis.
This is exactly how it can happen. We’ve seen it with some sectors of transport over the sea. Erosion of physical resources and infrastructure, public frustration, mismanagement etc. Then the only option left is to flog it all off, as though that were not the intention all along.
I do not believe a national health service in competition with predatory private providers and insurance companies is safe in the hands of our two forever-alternating centre-Right parties. Shiny new hospitals would be very handily acquired by insurance companies, and in this aspect of our culture and society we’d very easily resemble the fabled 51st state. We need representatives who are strongly on the side of support for a confident, respected, and well-managed national health service.
We deserve all we (do not) get if we remain, yet again, on this path come election time.
I’m not against privatisation if properly regulated.
I’ll acknowledge that I am very fortunate to have private health insurance because I desperately need it after a very rough year with multiple health issues. I’ve spent 9 weeks in total in hospital (not all consecutively).
I was in a private hospital after a procedure, there were some complications and I had high levels of pain as a result. They had me on very high amounts of pain killers and they needed to admit me but they didn’t have the capacity because they had agreed to take in a number of HSE overflow patients and ironically had to get an ambulance to transfer me to a public hospital that night. It was an unusual situation and staff in the private did everything they could but I needed proper aftercare that they couldn’t give due to capacity constraints from taking in HSE overflow cases.
Now like I’ve said I’m suffering with very poor health. I’ve experienced public and private care. I have to question how private care can do so much better even down to something as simple as food. I once went from public to private after one bad health incident and it was like leaving a war zone to go to a palace with proper care and also food. Something as simple as the food which is crucial when your convalescing, you need high nutrition to help you heal. The food was completely inedible in the public no flavour and just horrible, I went to the private and I ate like a king. The food was delicious and all the meal selections are full of nutrients.
The HSE have no clue how to properly run our health system. Too many layers and too many people over people or departments. If someone came in, stripped it down and rebuilt we could actually have a proper system and wouldn’t need private health care.
Any attempt to bring in an American style system here must be met with as many boots on the ground as possible and extreme resistance.
I know it’s not entirely free here compared to some countries, but fuck going into hospital for a week and being charged more per night than staying in the Burj Al Arab’s penthouse.
This has always been my fear. Run something into the ground so much that “Only the private sector can help”
Only on the condition the money we spend on the HSE is given back to us so we can pay for private. Don’t we pay something like 7,000 for every citizen per year to the HSE. I’m not paying that and private.
I can’t get an appointment to see my GP in a reasonable timeframe so I use webdoc.
I can’t get anywhere near a consultation with a HSE psychologist in the community clinics, so I pay out the arse for a private one.
I pay over a hundred quid a month to VHI bevause If I have a minor accident I can avoid the shitshow of an A&E unit. Or so I can at least see a consultant within the next 12 months if I ever need to if I develop some sort of non life treathening, but still life worsening illness or injury.
What a great public health system we have here though!
It is not an exaggeration to state that doubling the HSE’s budget would be cheaper than privatising healthcare.
The concept of private healthcare belongs in the feudal era where doctors were also barbers and dentists.
Lol. Straight from the Tory/Republican playbook. More money for the private sector at the cost of the public. Its so obvious at this stage.
Be great. Private healthcare is brilliant in this country. The more the better.
This will be the nail in the coffin for me. If healthcare is privatised, I’ll be selling my house and moving abroad.
Try and get child services for ASD assessments or anything psychological related in Dublin/Laois area and you will find even privately it’s 6 months plus waiting because the HSE is now diverting everything to private practices.