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Doctors

'Doctors are leaving the country and patient safety is being compromised'

The IMO says that health cuts cannot continue.

THE HEAD OF the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) says that patient safety is being put at risk by ongoing cuts to the health budget.

IMO President Professor Trevor Duffy says that successive years of cuts have made doctors leave the country.

In its pre-budget submission, the IMO points out that the health budget has been cut by €4 billion since 2008 which they claim means:

  • Staffing levels are down 12,200
  • Bed numbers are down by 900
  • Patients are being levied over €450 million in out of pocket payments
  • The proportion of spending on health in Ireland was now the lowest of the traditional 15 EU states

The proposal goes on to suggest an increase in funding, a commitment that cost cutting will not impact patients and an abandonment of any co-pay models, such as prescription charges.

Professor Duffy said that every section of the service was now “crying out for attention”.

He said “our doctors are leaving the country out of frustration and that’s now as true of established GPs and Consultants as it is of doctors at the early stage of their career.

“We need to decide now if we want to be part of a society that provides a health system which can offer the people of this country the kind of world-class care that they expect or if we are going to settle for a fractured service that is detrimental to the long term health of our nation”

Read: ‘It’s just not true’: Leo insists the government didn’t cook the books

Read: “Overcrowded and understaffed”: Nurses hold protest at Galway hospital

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21 Comments
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    Mute John Fahy
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    Jul 29th 2020, 2:39 PM

    More supervisors, less frontline Gardaí.

    204
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
    Favourite Isabel Oliveira
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    Jul 29th 2020, 2:46 PM

    To go to the airport , pubs & house parties ?

    92
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    Mute filthypete
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    Jul 29th 2020, 4:59 PM

    @Isabel Oliveira: everyone else is doing it so why can’t they!

    25
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    Mute 8-Bit-Relic
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    Jul 29th 2020, 3:15 PM

    They don’t have a ‘money tree’ for social interests but happy to stock policing up by huge numbers.

    58
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    Mute Jonny
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    Jul 29th 2020, 3:52 PM

    They’ve had it easy the last months, stopping cars who dared to travel beyond the sacred 5km, going around pubs and ordering the staff to close, etc

    56
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    Mute Rocky
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    Jul 29th 2020, 4:13 PM

    @Jonny: yep. easy job. That’s why everyone does it? Get a clue

    88
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    Mute Jonny
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    Jul 29th 2020, 4:16 PM

    @Rocky: I haven’t even mentioned corruption, rotten to the core from top to bottom

    46
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    Mute Canyon
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    Jul 29th 2020, 5:11 PM

    @Jonny: all 15000 of them? Me thinks you have issues you are not disclosing

    47
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    Mute Jonny
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    Jul 29th 2020, 6:13 PM

    @Canyon: nope not all of them but a large portion are and that cannot be denied.

    8
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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Jul 29th 2020, 6:24 PM

    @Jonny: Please, please, please do reveal all. When is the book coming out??

    26
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    Mute Pat Casey
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    Jul 29th 2020, 7:52 PM

    @Jonny: you are delusional …..trying to enforce laws..,out of their control

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    Mute Geoff Bateman
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    Jul 29th 2020, 3:57 PM

    More paper pushers…. Need them on the beat not stuck in the office

    67
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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Jul 29th 2020, 4:30 PM

    The old adage about “Too many chies and too few Indians ” comes to mind!

    45
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    Mute Pat Casey
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    Jul 29th 2020, 7:54 PM

    Great to see….what’s wrong with this?

    7
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    Mute feargal ‘2 metres’ de cantuin
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    Jul 29th 2020, 5:38 PM

    I’m wondering what powers and decisions previously made at superintendent rank will be devolved to inspectors and whether warrants phone taps and public order management decisions will be given less serious scrutiny. Will more bodies be put in place for community scrutiny and Garda oversight?

    6
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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Jul 29th 2020, 7:53 PM

    @feargal ‘2 metres’ de cantuin: Im sure I read somewhere the Number of Chiefs and Supts is to be reduced significantly . Only 2 Supts in each Division, with Inspectors in charge of Districts. I think that is what Harris said some time ago.

    12
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    Mute JP Pilibin
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    Jul 30th 2020, 1:43 AM

    It never stops ~ More pen pushers or PC tappers and no Gardai on the ground ~ More of ~ I made , I showed , I saved , I proved , I organised , And most of all I performed the most perfect covering of my own a#al gland !

    3
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