The south of Ireland spends a lot of money on health, – approximately €22 billion in 2021, or 10% of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Despite all this investment, the health system is accurately diagnosed as being poor.
One of the main reasons for poor performance is the underfunding of primary care. This has resulted in a reliance on hospitals as the primary point of care, leading to overcrowding, long waiting lists, and inadequate treatment for patients. Eventually, a lot of people get fed up with this and turn to the private sector, which in turn adds to the inequities in the system.
Adding to this is the fragmented nature of the health system. The responsibility for healthcare provision is split between several bodies, including the Health Service Executive (HSE), Department of Health, and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This results in a lack of coordination and communication, which makes it challenging to implement effective policies and reforms. Why the Dublin government hasn’t sorted this out I’ll leave to you to decide.
The high cost of healthcare in Ireland is another lead weight on the system. According to the Euro Health Consumer Index 2020, the south of Ireland ranks 22nd out of 35 European states in terms of value for money in healthcare. That’s because of the high cost of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as the high salaries of healthcare professionals.
Another problem is the shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly in rural areas. This leads to a heavy workload for existing staff and long waiting lists for patients. The situation is made even worse by the fact that many Irish healthcare professionals eventually sigh and choose to work abroad, where salaries are higher and working conditions are better.
Finally, there is a lack of investment in preventative care, which has been shown to reduce the burden on hospitals and improve patient outcomes. And why this lack of investment? Because politicians think short-term – the next election – and concentrate on cost savings that’ll show now, over long-term investments.
So the system is what you might term a clusterfuck. Public money is poured into health but poor organisation, high costs, not enough health-care professionals and a failure to focus on long-term goals means you’ve a recipe for failure. Is there a party that will have the brains and balls that are needed to invest in health wisely? We’ll know after the next election.
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