Tax breaks urged for research

Expert report: Property tax breaks should be replaced with financial incentives for healthcare research, according to an expert report to be published later this week.

Legislation to control the epidemic of obesity and Type II diabetes should also be considered, the report says, as preventative measures have better patient outcomes and are more cost effective than treatment.

These recommendations are contained in A Picture of Health 2030, a report drawn up by medical and engineering experts from Engineers Ireland and the Irish Academy of Engineers to anticipate future requirements in the medical sector.

The report identifies two future challenges for Irish-based healthcare professionals: to meet rising patient expectations and needs; and to develop the healthcare research and development sector.

In 25 years' time, six million people will live in the Republic and live for far longer, as life expectancy rises to 80 years for men and to 84 years for women, the report estimates.

By that time, if current trends are maintained, half the Irish population will also be overweight.

The report says this is the "biggest time bomb" facing the health services and a very expensive bomb, as medication for obese patients costs up to 70 per cent more.

The report says that diagnostic equipment and wireless technology will be incorporated into a wristwatch by 2030, allowing the wearer to monitor blood sugar levels, heart rate and blood pressure automatically.

This system will automatically send the data to a computer program to build up a patient's electronic record. This system will also alert your GP to any abnormal reading.

Electronic patient records will see the number of medical errors during screening, diagnosis and treatment fall significantly by 2030.

The authors note that up to 98,000 deaths in the US each year are linked to medical errors.

For consumers, the report says many developments in medicine and healthcare expected by 2030 - such as stem cell therapies and targeted pharmocogenomic-based drugs - are already in use on a limited basis.

The importance of the sector can be seen from the fact that 80 per cent of all coronary stents and up to half of all artificial hip joints in the world are manufactured here.

In 2004 pharmaceutical, medical devices, ICT and chemical sectors accounted for 72 per cent of all exports, generating more than €60 billion.

The medical technology sector is growing by 10 per cent per annum.

However, to ensure that Ireland is not merely a consumer of these high-tech, high-cost medical devices and treatments, significant changes to the research infrastructure in the State are required. The Government must increase funding for fourth-level study and research and provide tax incentives to create centres of excellence.

Ireland produces 75 science and engineering PhDs per million of population compared with 180 per million in Finland.

To address this deficit, the authors say PhD funding must become more financially attractive.

A Picture of Health 2030 was sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. Its findings will be discussed at the Engineers Ireland Conference in Dublin on Thursday.