Harney"Hospitals choosing the cuts"-Time to Go!!

[Disabled student]

Why shouldn't she?

What the difference in her attendance at a public hospital that provides private care (all of them do) and a private hospital that provides private care? And what the difference in the Minister for Health attending at a private hospital and the Minister for Enery attending at a private energy company or the Minister for Tourism attending at a private tourism facility (eg Hotel)?

People on this site need to get over themselves when it comes to private medicine. Private medicine forms the basis of health services in the places like the Netherlands, France and Sweden, all of which have excellent services.

The issue is not the ownership of the assets, but who pays for the service. And if we are to have a single tier health service paid for by mandatory insurance, we are going to needs lots and lots of private operators before it can become economically viable.

You are NOT thinking of other people who can't afford it- as I do not agree that Private Medicine forms the basis of Health services. Public health services is essential to the society as a whole.

Private Medicine creates two tier society... one for the well off and others average. Private Medicine is also a form of Capitalism as well. It does not offer an pancea for all the ills.

Mary Harney have a conflict of interest in regards to her husband's work with Co-Location hospitals. Co Location hospitals enables high wealthy/net worth Invividuals or rich millionaires to avail of the GENEROUS tax breaks and reliefs.

[odie1kanobe]

I am loath to comment but she is in fact on this occasion correct.

The HSE give budgets and set overall policy.

The implementation of policy and how the budgets are spent is up to the individual hospital that what the management of hospitals are for.

It is well known that certain hospitals have at best a fluid view of budgets.

For years during the good times they over spent and got more, if they were refused or even threatened with refusal they let the press know that they were going to have to close wards to meet budgets. Once the press got involved and people started screaming Including the opposition) the HSE promptly provided the money.

It was easier for the hospital management than to find actuall savings or to find and eliminate waste. It also gave them an oppertunity to give the finger to the HSE.

I think at the start of the year all budgets for each hospital should be published in national media and let the media deal with it.

Then let them start asking questions why management of the hospitals are running out of money.

They want resources well let them have the responsibility to manage the resources and when they don't do it dismiss them.

[flavirostris]

This was just on 6:1.
How does she get away with hiding behind the hospitals like this. Seems the buck stops everywhere except with herself.

[sparkey321]

I think at the start of the year all budgets for each hospital should be published in national media and let the media deal with it.

Then let them start asking questions why management of the hospitals are running out of money.

They want resources well let them have the responsibility to manage the resources and when they don't do it dismiss them.

At the moment they are published retrospectively.

In 2006 Crumlin spent €121,001,000
In 2007 Crumlin spent €138,311,000
In 2008 Crumlin spent €144,382,000

The used to also publish budgets so you could see how much they over spent by but for some reason they stopped.

They also publish bed numbers, staffing levels, discharge numbers etc for every public accute hospital. But its all for the last 3 years nothing current.

Crumlin is here HSE.ie - Health Service Executive Website - Our Ladys Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin

And the rest of the hospitals on a county by county basis
HSE.ie - Health Service Executive Website - County Information