Alan Shatter
Question:97 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health whether access to surgery for both VHI and GMS patients is equally and readily available throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers - Access to Surgery.
All persons, irrespective of their coverage under either the GMS scheme or voluntary health insurance, are entitled to opt for public hospital treatment as a public patient or as a private patient. The objective of Government policy is to ensure equitable access to necessary care. This objective is being pursued firstly through the operation of controlled admission arrangements and secondly through the waiting list initiative.
Patients who opt for private care may not be admitted to a public bed, except where an emergency admission is necessary but private or semi-private accommodation is not available. This system, which was introduced under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, allows the relative accessibility of the service to each category of patient to be monitored, and remedial action to be taken where necessary. This process of monitoring and review is an ongoing one.
The waiting list initiative, which commenced in 1993 and has continued in 1994, has had a marked effect in increasing equitable access for public patients. This initiative is targeted exclusively towards public patients and resulted in a reduction of 37 per cent in the number of people awaiting admission between July and December 1993.