25 signatures reached
To: An Taoiseach Micheal Martin & Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly
Patientrevolution.ie - Campaign for the delivery of a one tier health system: Sláintecare
Taoiseach, A chara,
Minister Donnelly, A chara,
We ask you to reinstate an independent Board to oversee the delivery of Sláintecare and allow it to drive the program of Sláintecare in its original vision and spirit as the all party deliverable it is.
We ask you as Taoiseach & Minister for health of this country, to stand up to the resistance to change within Government Departments and the HSE.
We ask you to prioritise and put in place independent oversight of senior management in both the HSE and Department of Health.
We ask you to urgently and proactively enable the Sláintecare board, the HSE & the Department of Health to adequately resource hospitals with consultants and communities with GPs and GPNs. Resolve the pay issue for consultants and engage with GPs & Dentists to develop a relevant contract and support structure that will save primary care and enable continuity of care to patients.
We ask you to acknowledge that there is a crisis, healthcare workers are burnt out, they are leaving the country and their profession in alarming numbers. We are waiting unable to access the care we need.
We are all patients, we are out of patience, we revolt.
We ask you to act.
Why is this important?
This is a patient led campaign for radical change to the structure, resourcing and delivery of healthcare in Ireland. We are all patients, this effects everyone of us in this country.
Our health system is broken, it is no longer holding itself together. Hospital waiting lists have almost hit 1million. There are 700 (1/5) consultant vacancies unfilled in Ireland. There are many reasons for this situation: the current contract for consultants, procedures being cancelled, investment required for additional bed capacity across hospitals.
GP patient lists are full. 30% of GPs (over 1000 GPs) will retire in the next 2 to 3 years. There is no strategy for replacing them. Tens of thousands of citizens already do not have access to a GP. This is putting strain on emergency departments, out of hours services and most importantly not giving people the level of care & continuity of care they require.
Emergency departments & hospitals are writing to GPs to advise they do not have capacity to take referrals. These patients bounce back to GPs to manage their illness while they wait.
Patients with private healthcare have some access to private out of hours and ED clinics which provide limited services if your insurance covers what you need.
Ultimately as more GPs retire these private services will also become strained. The band aids of OOHS , ED & private clinics are not a replacement for Primary care services. They do not provide the continuity of care that patients are best served by. We are all affected by this healthcare crisis.
We need to come together as one voice to support an all party initiative: Sláintecare. This will transform healthcare in Ireland and benefit generations to come. I urge you to support, share, discuss, engage with this campaign.
Thank you,
Patientrevolution.ie
How it will be delivered
We will deliver this directly to the Taoiseach & minister for health- when we get enough momentum we will march to the Dail (restrictions & permit permitting of course!)