An election crisis in waiting
My column from the Medical Independent on 19 February 2015
Extensive overcrowding in emergency departments and in our public hospitals continues to dominate the public and political radar in the early weeks and months of 2015. It is evident that there are continued high numbers on trolleys and in delayed discharges. (more…)
Radio bluff exposes how little Enda knows about health
Opinion from the Irish Independent on 13 September 2014
Enda Kenny gets most of the sound bites right when it comes to government health policy. He repeatedly mentioned “keeping patients at the centre” and the “need to reform” in his interview with Cathal MacCoille on yesterday’s ‘Morning Ireland’.
But the minute the Taoiseach is probed in any detail on health matters, he flounders and his utter lack of understanding is revealed. (more…)
Something is rotten in Hawkins House
See here my column from the Medical Independent from 21 June on the failure to make progress on waiting times in Emergency Departments and elective hospital treatment and the role of James Reilly’s Special Delivery Unit (more…)
James Reilly – a year as health minister
So it’s just one year since James Reilly took up the mantle as health minister. What did he promise us and how is he doing?
James Reilly’s well paid advisors
James Reilly, Minister for Health is over his quota of ministerial advisors and without any specific expertise in his priority area of health reform – universal health insurance… (more…)
‘Cautious optimism’? New unambitious targets for hospital wait times
On Wednesday 25 January, Minister James Reilly held a news conference to announce new targets on reducing the numbers of trolleys and wait times for hospital treatment. It was good news all-round… ‘Cautious optimism’ was the prevailing sentiment of the day. (more…)
Waiting for others to die – the only way to get a nursing home bed
HSE figures released today (1 September) reveal that 1,100 older people who are medically in need of a nursing home place and have been through a rigorous financial assessment are languishing on a waiting list for that bed. When the Nursing Home Support Scheme (the so-called Fair Deal) was launched less than two years ago it was heralded as “accessible, affordable and anxiety free”. Obviously it is proving to be none of these (it is not accessible for those on the waiting list, it is not affordable for the State as it as run out of money and it is not anxiety free for the older people and their families who wait for a nursing home bed) so what does the Fair Deal waiting list mean for those on it and why is there a waiting list? (more…)
SaraBurke.com 
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