Bríd Smith urges takeover of private hospital capacity amid crisis
Bríd Smith challenged the minister over escalating health-system failures, citing 97% of junior doctors voting for industrial action and 1.3 million people still on waiting lists. She demanded urgent action, calling for a comprehensive single-tier universal health service free at the point of use and the takeover of private hospital capacity into public ownership.
Industrial action and staff morale
The deputy highlighted the Irish Medical Organisation's announcement that 97% of junior doctors voted in favour of industrial action and cited the Irish Nurses Organisation warning that nurses are at the end of their tether. She said junior doctors are frustrated and demoralised and that nurses are burnt out physically and mentally, undermining clinical care.
Waiting lists and emergency delays
Bríd Smith pointed to figures showing 1.3 million people remain on waiting lists and said the average time in emergency departments to be seen is 11 hours, with waits longer for those over 75. She linked these delays to pressure on frontline staff and the broader quality of care.
Call for single-tier universal service and private hospital takeover
The deputy pressed the minister for a firm commitment to establish a comprehensive single-tier universal health service free at the point of use. She also proposed taking over private hospital capacity into public ownership to provide extra capacity to address the escalating crisis.
Minister's response and staffing numbers
The minister acknowledged the hard work of doctors and nurses and said frontline staff numbers are near an all-time high. He noted NCHD numbers rose from 6,091 to 7,720—an increase of over 1,600—and urged staff concerned about work and conditions to engage with state processes and ongoing wage discussions.
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Minister, the announcement on Monday by the Irish Medical Organisation that 97% of junior doctors have voted in favour of industrial action demonstrates how frustrated and demoralised these junior doctors are with the treatment by the HSE and Minister Stephen Donnelly and the figures today that show 1.3 million still on waiting lists the average time in the emergency department for waiting to be seen is 11 hours and for those over 75 years of age it's longer so is it no wonder that the Irish nurses organisation have said that nurses at the end of their tether cannot provide the clinical care that was acquired they are burnt out physically and mentally so Minister I want to ask you is it not time that urgent action is required from Minister Donnelly to meet the demands of the frontline health care workers that we need a commitment a firm commitment to the establishment of a comprehensive single-tier universal health service free at the point of use and would you not say it's time to take over the capacity in private hospitals into public ownership to provide the extra capacity that is urgently required to resolve this escalating crisis? We of course appreciate how hard our doctors and nurses are working in providing the medical care that is so badly needed after the demanding years that we have been through and can see the impact that this is having on waiting lists. In relation to the industrial action that Deputy Smith did make reference to there, if I look at the NCHD issue which I know is now the subject of potential industrial action and unrest, the number of such doctors that we have in our health system has now gone from 6,091 to 7,720, an increase of over 1,600 over the last number of years. The number of people who are working in our health service, the numbers of frontline staff, nurses and doctors that we have, is I think nearly at an all-time high in terms of how many are there. But that has been put in place to respond back to waiting lists that we will get down as the year goes on. I would urge very briefly, those who are so concerned about their work and conditions though, to engage in the processes that are available through the state for the resolution of these matters and the wage discussions that are now underway. Thank you. Thank you.
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