Harney delivers on hospital queues/lists

national | anti-capitalism | other press Tuesday June 20, 2006 14:14 by anonirishhealthblog

by privatising!

Harney is in the news for opening the shiny new private healthcare facility and for admonishing Consutlants for not recommend the National treatment fund programe, both projects seem to help the 'crisis' but merely funnels money to private heatlhccare rather then building capactiy in the public system.

TÁNAISTE OPENS IRELAND’S SECOND WALK-IN URGENT CARE FACILITY
http://www.vhi.ie/press/190606.jsp
The private clinic, which is a joint initiative between VHI and The Well, aims to treat and discharge the majority of its patients within one hour.

Opening the facility, The Tanaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD said, " I am pleased to open the second Vhi SwiftCare Clinic This is a unique partnership between Vhi Healthcare, The Well and DCU that will provide a community based urgent care centre in North Dublin. There is a natural synergy between the partners and I welcome this initiative. Vhi Swiftcare Clinic is a walk-in urgent care centre based closely on well established Australian and US Models.

Uncooperative consultants must be named: Harney
http://news.google.ie/nwshp?hl=en&ned=&ncl=http://www.u...93607

Referral block not our fault-doctors
http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=9719
johnwilliams makes an good point which Ill 'blog'/copy
This is an amazingly simple scheme. If you are on a waiting list for a surgical procedure longer than 3 months you are entitled to have your procedure carried out and paid for by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, abroad if necessary. To the patient it is a very good scheme. They get treated and why worry who pays for it. To those who want a good healthcare service in Ireland it is an insidious scheme. It is bringing privatised health into the heart of our health service. Over 30% of those traeted in 2004 were trated in the hospital that referred them and on whose waiting list the patient was longer than 3 months. The hospital refers the waiting list patient to the NTPF and hey presto when the patient is referred back there is no waiting list for the procedure and it is carried out straightaway. The hospital has the capacity all along but it requires extra funding so it does private work for the NTFP to get extra funding. This shows why our health service is so dreadful.

NTPF
http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=9716

New Vhi plan to treat medical card patients
http://www.imt.ie/displayarticle.asp?AID=11028&NS=1&CAT...SID=1
Dublin’s Vhi SwiftCare clinics want to treat medical card patients and intend speaking to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service about doing so, it has been confirmed.

A&E docs' concern on VHI clinics
http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=9686
Dr Binchy said the new clinics were often adding a further and unnecessary layer to treatment, whereby a patient may now have to go to a minor casualty clinic, then the A&E and then to a specialist.

Young GPs warned about creeping corporatisation of general practice
http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/articles.asp?Category=ne...16391
“I also reiterated the IMO’s view on the VHI Swiftcare clinics which have, for the first time in Ireland, created a two-tier primary care system,” Dr Daly told IMN. The debate panel, which was chaired by Mr John Bowman, also included contributions from Touchstone CEO Mr Fergus Hoban, ICGP Chairman Dr Eamonn Shanahan, and Dr Ray Power of Locumotion.

It is run as a joint initiative between the VHI and The Well, a primary care medical company founded by Dr Ray Power and Dr Maurice Cox. The first SwiftCare Clinic caused controversy among some GPs who said it would