PATIENTS IN the Republic should be allowed direct access to hospital consultants in order to cut treatment waiting times, the 2008 Euro Health Consumer Index published yesterday states.
The report gives Ireland a poor rating in terms of the likelihood of patients getting cancer treatment within 21 days or MRI scans within seven days. However, it gives the country a very good rating in terms of waiting times for major non-acute operations.
It claims that if patients had direct access to specialists, rather than having to be referred by a GP, waiting times would improve.
"Over the years, one fact becomes clear: gatekeeping means waiting. Contradictory to general belief, direct access to specialist care does not generate access problems to specialists by the increased demand; repeatedly, waiting times are found predominantly in restrictive systems," it said.
Data for the Euro Health Consumer Index is sourced by the Brussels-based Health Consumer Powerhouse from public statistics, with input from health ministries, patient groups and research.
The report finds Ireland has the 15th most consumer-friendly healthcare system out of 31 countries in Europe. This is one step up from last year's position. Countries received scores in six categories, and Ireland scored 643 points overall out of a possible 1,000.
In the category on patients' rights to information, second opinions and own medical records, Ireland scored 88 out of a possible 150. It got 42 out of a possible 100 for e-Health, including prevalence of electronic patient records; 107 out of 200 on waiting times; 190 out of 250 for outcomes, 92 out of 150 for range and reach of services provided, and 125 out of 150 for pharmaceuticals, including access to new drugs.
It rated our performance in relation to MRSA as poor. MRSA is now a "significant health threat in one out of two measured countries", the report says.
Ireland scored 24th out of the 31 countries in terms of value for investment in the health service.
Top-scoring countries were the Netherlands on 839 points, Denmark on 820 and Austria on 784.
Dr Arne Björnberg, research director at the Euro Health Consumer Index, said improvement in Irish patient outcomes had been noticed. This was "considered the most vital area of the index".
The report says the creation of the HSE was a much needed reform. "The Health Service Executive reform seems to have started improving a historically dismal performance. The severe waiting list problems seem to be improving, and so are outcomes. However, patient organisations do not seem to have discovered this," it adds.
In 2007 the report ranked Ireland last in Europe on patient waiting times. This year, nine countries fared worse than Ireland on wait times, including the UK and several eastern European states.