Healthcare in 1995: how great was it?

[Panopticon]

I have now read several posts about how the current government, and Mary Harney in particular, has "destroyed" etc. the public health system. I think I understand a bit about the system in 2009, but I wasn't really paying attention in 1995-2004, when we were spending about 1/3 on the public system and a tiny fraction on the private system compared to now. So I suppose we must have been getting superb value for money back then if it was better than now. How did we manage that, and is the solution to the current problems in the HSE to return to a €5 billion current budget?

[CookieMonster]

It was AMAZING. You were cured before you even got sick.

[drzhivago]

my second year working in public system and it was bad but at least you could get a bed, wards were overcrowded, 6 bedded had 8 in them, 4 had 6 etc

Then INO changed their internal rules and wouldn't allow that so shifted all the extras to A&E, hasnt improved since then only getting worse year on year

[goosebump]

I have now read several posts about how the current government, and Mary Harney in particular, has "destroyed" etc. the public health system. I think I understand a bit about the system in 2009, but I wasn't really paying attention in 1995-2004, when we were spending about 1/3 on the public system and a tiny fraction on the private system compared to now. So I suppose we must have been getting superb value for money back then if it was better than now. How did we manage that, and is the solution to the current problems in the HSE to return to a €5 billion current budget?

The 'state of the health service' is beyond factual contradiction in this country.

Never mind 1995, I've repeatedly asked for evidence of any set of outcomes in the health service that are worse today than prior to the HSE being set up in 2004, and have never been provided with any.

The irony is that the more the HSE has pursued strategies that were previously anathema (centralisation, closure of smaller hospitals, use of private health care) the better the service has become.

The service still has a long way to do. We need wealthy people to pay for their own healthcare, rather than sponging off the State, and the public system needs to based on individual insurance and primary care, but at least the ship is pointed in the right direction now.

[Middleaged]

I dunno, I have spent the last 2 years being treated for cancer in the system, and I was treated as a private patient in a public hospital.

My oncologist is simply brilliant, as I think they all are, the oncology nurses that put in the chemo were simply fantastic, the nurses on the ward were equally as good (both male and female).Pharmacists, nutritionists, registrars all highly professional, now there were a few rows, but overall brilliant

Technology, like stem cell harvesting and re-introduction, on a world par, my 3 weeks of radiation treatment in St Lukes was as professional as anywhere, althought I personally didn't like the place, I can't fault the staff or system there..

The back-up I get is amazing, should I have a worry I can pick up the phone and ask a question.

Now its not without its problems, spending 3 nights on a trolley in A&E whilst in a middle of a chemo session wasn't great and you have to give it poke, and sometimes a kick to get what you want.

But overall its a good system, I recognise that there are problems in getting into it, and there are issues within it but, as a "customer" I was very satified, except for the food, which was simply shyte

[skev]

In 1995 I hurt my shoulder playing a rugby match. Went to A/E and was seen in 4 hours.

In 2007 I was sent in to A/E cause the doc thought I'd broken my leg. 9 hrs later I got an x-ray.

I've had experience with cancer care in Ireland and I have to agree Middleaged the Doctors and nurses are fantastic. It just seems to me that hospital management can't run the hospitals. They certainly can't organise A and E.

[Josip Broz]

1995 Health service was standing on the precipice of a major blood scandal (1996) and Michael Neary was practicing away in the North East (suspended 1999).

[Middleaged]

In 1995 I hurt my shoulder playing a rugby match. Went to A/E and was seen in 4 hours.

In 2007 I was sent in to A/E cause the doc thought I'd broken my leg. 9 hrs later I got an x-ray.

I've had experience with cancer care in Ireland and I have to agree Middleaged the Doctors and nurses are fantastic. It just seems to me that hospital management can't run the hospitals. They certainly can't organise A and E.

I agree with you on the management bit, when I was in Tallaght and something got up my nose or things with regard my treatment went wrong, i had my laptop with me and sent the CEO an email, everytime...

My wife was getting worried that I'd get fecked out, A&E is a mess because people don't go to their GP's, people use it when they go out get pissed, hurt themselves and then all to A&E for a mini-party or sometimes a fight, I've witnessed this, and apparently you cannot be turned away..