Financial mis-management 'costing HSE millions' - study

A government-commissioned audit has reportedly found that the HSE is wasting more than €20m a year through bad financial management.

Reports this morning say the study found that millions of euro is being lost because the health service's bank accounts are not earning interest, while the HSE is paying out around €2m a year in bank charges.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhqlcwojkfey/

Hospital bed record 'a sick joke'

A CLAIM that only 10 extra beds have been provided in acute hospitals between 2005 and 2007 was made yesterday by the Fine Gael health spokesman, Dr James Reilly TD.

Describing the record of Minister for Health, Mary Harney, as "a sick joke" he said official figures showed that the number of inpatient beds had only increased from 12,093 in 2005 to 12,103 last year.

"This is what the Minister has to show after three full years and a €40 billion spend - three inpatient beds a year," said Dr Reilly.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0805/1217628552394.html

Health Services report

This report was researched and written by Sara Burke and produced jointly by SIPTU and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It draws heavily on 'How Ireland Cares - the Case for Health Care Reform' by A. Dale Tussing and Maev-Ann Wren (New Island, 2006), which itself was the result of a study ICTU had commissioned the authors to carry out, in advance of the opening of talks on social partnership in 2006. Where possible, statistics have been updated since the publication of 'How Ireland Cares'.

http://www.siptu.ie/campaigns/HEALTHSERVICES/FileDownload,9822,en.pdf