Ireland slips eight places to 22nd in 2014 Euro Health Consumer Index
Ireland has tumbled down an international
ranking of health services after its waiting list data was found to have lost
credibility. Ireland is ranked 22nd in the 2014 Euro Health
Consumer Index, published Tuesday, down from 14th the previous year.
While overall healthcare performance
in Europe has improved despite reduced spending in many countries,
Ireland was one of the few states to lose ground. The index says this is because
it decided to use feedback from patient organisations in relation to waiting times
rather than rely on official data.
It took this step after six years of persistent
patient criticism, having decided the official waiting list data had “lost
credibility”.
“Ireland is a strange artefact among the healthcare
systems of northwestern Europe,” said Dr Arne Bjornberg, head researcher
of the index. “Patient empowerment is on
the level of Romania, waiting times as long as in Sweden (which
is bad!) and healthcare inequity is evident.
The index, which is
compiled from a combination of public statistics, patient polls and independent
research, ranked the Netherlands first, followed
by Switzerland, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
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