Leo Varadkar’s top nine improvements in the health service in recent years

Leo Varadkar told the Oireachtas health committee today that while there was inevitably a focus on the negative aspects of the health service, many things had improved "since I wore a white coat and stethoscope" seven or eight years ago.

Here are the Minister’s top nine improvements in the health service over recent years:

- The establishment of national clinical programmes has greatly improved services in many specialised areas, such as stroke and cardiac services. For example, one person survives a stroke every day, and one person is saved from disablement, as a result of the improved services available.

- Inspections by the Health Information and Quality Authority might be an annoyance for staff, Mr Varadkar said, but they have raised standards.

- There is greater access to healthcare free at the point of access than every before, according to the Minister, with a record 2 million people holding a medical card or GP visit card.

- Hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA are still a problem, but rates are at their lowest level in years.

- More day surgery is being carried out than before, meaning patients don’t have to spend so long in hospital. Patients with bronchitis or emphysema are discharged to community after 7½ days on average instead of spending nine days in hospital.

- Trolley waiting times have deteriorated in recent months but are still better than in 2011

- The air ambulance service is a “huge improvement” in getting people to hospitals, especially in the West.

- Ireland’s transplantation rate is improving relative to other European countries. The Mater yesterday marked its 100th lung transplant, which was performed last June. We are one of the few countries where more people have had a kidney transplant than are on dialysis.

- There are “real improvements” in transferring patients between hospitals, especially for new-borns, often using dedicated transfer teams.