Programme for government: More hospital beds and community services promised

The capacity of the public health service will be built up to protect against further surges of Covid-19, according to the new draft programme for government.

Extra beds will be provided, children’s services will be extended and a range of patient charges will be cut, the document promises.

An “intense focus” will be maintained on Covid-19 following the principles of “isolate, test, trace and treat” the disease, to ensure a speedy reaction should there be an increase in cases.

While promising to ensure there is capacity for future surges of Covid-19, the document says we need to learn from and build on some responses during the pandemic, particularly in electronic health and prescribing.

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It promises to accelerate the implementation of Sláintecare, the 10-year programmes for the future of the health services agreed on an all-party basis in 2017.

“Many of the healthcare responses to Covid-19 are important elements of Sláintecare, and we will identify how to keep the gains,” the document states. “Underpinning our approach will be the provision of more health services in the community, increases in capacity including bed, ICU and critical care capacity and the promotion of good public health policy.”

Among the specific promises in the programme for government are an increase in home-care hours and the introduction of a statutory home-care scheme; the extension of free GP care to “more” children and to carers; and the abolition of inpatient hospital charges for children.

Free dental care for children is to be extended and prescription charges and the drug payment scheme threshold will be reduced.

Carparking charges at hospitals will be capped “where possible” and the income threshold for medical cards for over-70s will be increased.

Talks will also begin with pharmacists on a new contract and an extension of their role in providing services.

The document promises the new national children’s hospital will be opened and building of the new maternity hospital at St Vincent’s Hospital will start once governance arrangements have been “concluded”.

The programme for government says the way claims for medical negligence are handled will be “re-assessed” so the Irish regime is brought into line with other OECD countries. Mediation may become a legal “first resort” for disputes.

There are plans to increase excise duty on tobacco, use taxation to discourage vaping and introduce planning restrictions on outlets selling junk food and drinks adjacent to schools.

The document also promises to “work to end” the admission of children to adult psychiatric units through an increase in inpatient beds and new ways of assigning these beds.

Sinn Féin health spokeswoman Louise O’Reilly described the health proposals in the document as a “rehash of old announcements” and a “broad brushstroke, helicopter view” of the future for the sector.

She expressed alarm over the document’s failure to promise an end to private care in public hospitals, and to consultant pay inequality, and said Slaintecare’s proposals for universal healthcare had been replaced by a promise instead of “affordable” healthcare.