On the first anniversary of the Government's Health Strategy the aim must be to ensure maximum value for money in health services, writes Micheal Martin, Minister for Health.
The recent series of articles by Dr Muiris Houston in this newspaper has focused attention on some of the major issues that threaten the health and quality of life of people in this country.
The health system has seen an unprecedented level of funding in recent years, which has led to the appointment of many new staff and the development of new services. Activity in hospitals has never been higher and more people are receiving treatments than ever before.
This year the Government invested almost €8.2 billion in the health service. This represents an overall increase of 134 per cent since 1997. The Health Strategy, "Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You", published this week last November, provides the framework by which we will continue to address issues that affect public health in this State.
The first national goal of the strategy states clearly the commitment to ensuring that public health is at the centre of public policy. This recognises that the determinants of health and the factors responsible for the inequalities in health services, which were identified in Dr Houston's articles, are to be found outside the health system. They relate to such factors as poverty, education, lifestyle and working conditions.
The advances in health and healthcare during the last two centuries have depended upon the increasing availability and application of useful health information.
Recent discoveries in genetics, and breakthroughs in bio-engineering, health informatics and other fields, are likely to transform our information base and provide more effective means to protect health, combat chronic disease and plan and deliver healthcare.
Information is generated at such a pace internationally that there is a serious risk of information gaps opening up between the public, the professionals, the planners, the policy makers and the research community. Keeping abreast of new information and applying it on a daily basis will remain an ongoing challenge. I am committed to ensuring that in this information age, our public and our patients are as informed as possible about the factors which influence their health, about health issues generally and about the services available for them.
A key priority in the coming years will be ensuring that the health system can achieve the highest quality standards possible and that the public can be assured that this is happening. I am committed to ensuring, in line with the Health Strategy, that we increase our focus on the quality of care and that people who use the health system can do so in the knowledge that the highest standards of care will be afforded to them. This will ensure that we deliver maximum value for money in the health system.
THE world of health technology in terms of new diagnostic and treatment possibilities is rapidly developing. Evidence is being made available on a daily basis of new and more complex treatment and diagnostic options for patients with particular health problems.
A method is needed to ensure that we can make the best use of these technologies and investing in any given technology represents the best possible use of our resources relative to other possible health considerations.
Health remains high on the public agenda and this, together with an increase in the skilled workforce and a range of health initiatives and improved health planning, has contributed to significant improvements in the health of people in Ireland.
Responsibility for the achievement and maintenance of good health falls to individuals, the health sectors, other sectors, and the broader society. It is clear that partnerships must be built across levels of government, the public sector, and regional and local groups including the voluntary sector, if sustainable health gains are to be achieved. There are already many inter-sectoral actions which have been successful and the Health Strategy has laid out a framework for further developing these activities into the future.
This will require sustained levels of commitment and the development of health impact assessment as a practical articulation of this commitment throughout the health system.