Public not convinced Reilly can deliver

Only one-in-four people believe Minister James Reilly can make a real difference to our health service, according to our latest viewers' poll.

Seven months after taking up office, we asked our viewers whether they thought the new Minister can improve the health system.

Only 27% said they felt he could make improvements, while 61% said no, and 12% were not sure.

Dr Reilly has ambitious plans to introduce a new equal access universal health insuracne system, which would include free GP care.

He has also, through a new special delivery Unit (SDU), pledged to tackle treatment waiting lists and emergency department trolley waits.

However, latest figures show that these waiting list numbers remain stubbornly high, while the number of hospital bed closures are increasing.

Dr Reilly also announced earlier this week that following a cut of €1 billion in the HSE's budget this year, a further €1.5 billion is due to be cut from the health budget over the next three years.

Initiatives the Minister has taken to date include taking more direct control of the HSE (which he plans to abolish) scrapping hospital co-location, and dealing with the Fair Deal funding issue, as well as planning new consumer measures to tackle growing obesity levels.

View the poll results and comments, as well as the results of previous polls here

Time for Minister to deliver on change pledge

[Posted: Thu 06/10/2011]