Primary and social healthcare expansion should be priority

Sir, – Health Service Executive chief Anne O’Connor confirms that reform of the health service is important and that people need to be looked after in their own homes (“HSE chief says it’s ‘too soon’ to say whether more funding or measures needed to curb overruns,” May 9th).

This echoes the Sláintecare Report (2017) of the Oireachtas All-Party Health Committee.

Sláintecare crafted a new vision for the future of healthcare in Ireland. Sláintecare showed how the best outcomes and value for money can be achieved by reorienting the model of care towards primary and community care. The majority of people’s health needs should be met locally.

The future model of health is where care is delivered in the community. The Sláintecare report called for the expansion of capacity to deliver better access to primary care and general practice.

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Healthcare should be delivered at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. People should access public health as close to home as possible. Priority resourcing should be for primary and social care.

Sláintecare’s vision must shape future reforms of the health service. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN CALLANAN,

Ennis Road,

Limerick.