FG peddling private healthcare agenda in Fingal

13 November 2019

Labour Party by-election candidate for Fingal, Duncan Smith, has said the proposed 40 bed day hospital for Swords will do very little to address the healthcare needs and concerns of people in Fingal.

Councillor Smith said:

“The proposed 40 bed day hospital for Swords is being hyped up by Fine Gael in this by-election campaign as a solution for the people of Fingal who are currently stuck oh HSE waiting lists. This will of course only be a solution if you have private health insurance

“This is a private company, wishing to build a private hospital, on private land and who view the HSE as a client. Their model would have the HSE purchase their services on behalf of HSE patients. This model aids the continued privatisation and outsourcing of our health service. This is a time when we need to strengthen and invest in our public health services.

“We require a HSE run day hospital as a satellite unit under remit of Beaumont. What is needed as is an increase in capacity at Beaumont itself with further investment in doctors, nurses, health care assistants and support staff.

“Our health system has never been so imbalanced. The fact that Fine Gael are pushing this proposal for a private hospital so hard is because it is at the core of their ideology and drives the inequality they are more than happy to preside over.

“Ideology is driving the healthcare agenda rather than the needs of the people of Swords and the surrounding areas.

“I am asking the people of Swords and Fingal to not be fooled by pronouncements about this proposed day hospital. If it does get the go ahead, it will likely be a building the vast majority of us will travel past on our way to an ever under pressure Beaumont hospital.”

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