OECD report on Health is published

national | consumer issues | news report

Tuesday November 13, 2007 15:06

by C Murray

Up to and Including 2005....

This morning the DOHC [Department of Health and Children] press released on the OECD
report on Healthcare. The report is set in a time period that ends at 2005. The DOHC decided
not to add the link onto their website so I am publishing it here.

Apparently we are doing quite well on Health, a bit of critical underspend and the necessity for
the department to juggle the figures. Of course the 2007 Breast Cancer Crisis is not mentioned
on this file,but directly under the link there can be found the statement by Ms Harney on
the issue (dated last week- the scandal broke on the 4th of September).

Health issues for women

The DOHC document which does not contain a link to the OECD report:-

http://www.dohc.ie/press/releases/2007/20071113.html

The OECD link:-

http://www.oecd.org/country/0,3377,en_33873108_33787350....html

[The country by country reports can be accessed on the left side of the page and you scroll down
to the national flag and click the flag]
the report begins:-

'Health spending accounted for 7.5% GDP in Ireland in 2005, 1.5% points lower than the
average for OECD countries'

[http://www.oecd.org]

The DOHC report is entitled:-

"Authoritative OECD Health at a Glance 2007 Report Published"- which has title paragraphs
and headings- the Report is actually up to and including 2005 and not up to and including
2007.

Particular interest would be 'Health Resources and Utilisation'- which lauds departmental
spending and 'Quality of Care'- which skims the Breast Cancer care and treatment sector.
[These are sections three and four respectively- I am assuming that there will be press
releases and media junkets on the report which stopped investigating the OECD
health spending two years ago]

It details that Ireland's Breast cancer survival rate had improved to 2005 over a relative
five year period to 79.3%.

Link to related issues on Women's Health Care in Crisis:-
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84946

The image of a breast feeding child is related to the HSE's Plans to cut maternity services
making it significantly more difficult for women to choose the breast-feeding option without
the dedicated support of midwifery and maternity staff. Funding cuts and a plan to release
women within 24 hours of giving birth will reduce supports in Choice of maternity care
to all but the most wealthy.