Too much private sector involvement in healthcare, says Sherlock

Labour TD and health spokesperson Marie Sherlock has said the government is overly dependent on private providers.

Speaking at the conference of the Irish Medical Organisation in Killarney, Sherlock said the government needs to produce a “comprehensive” plan to expand bed capacity in Ireland’s public hospitals and the current approach is not working.

The Dublin Central TD said that there has slow progress in delivering additional acute hospital beds, which she says directly feeds Ireland’s prolonged waiting lists and subsequent reliance on the private sector.

“The Minister for Health must show political leadership and bring forward an ambitious plan to deliver the bed capacity our public health system needs, rather than relying on more private outsourcing,” she said.

“The government must treat the root causes of overcrowding and waiting lists by investing in our public health infrastructure; with a growing and aging population, it is unsustainable to embed further reliance on private providers in the health system.”

Statistics from Sherlock showed that Ireland currently has the fifth lowest number of beds in the European Union, with 290 available beds per one hundred thousand population.

“We have known since 2023 that the public health system was short 900 acute beds for our requirements, and that’s before we consider the additional 330 beds that are currently required per year – and yet, the HSE’s capital plan 2025 reflects the anaemic programme announced for this year.”

Only 225 acute hospital beds were introduced into the system from 2023 until September 2024, a figure which Sherlock says does not meet the scope of the issue.

“Just today alone, 437 people are on hospital trolleys waiting for beds this morning. They are among the many who suffer the indignity and adverse health impacts of long wait times for crucial procedures and treatment. They are being let down by a lack of ambition.”

She pointed to the 2024 Waiting List Action Plan, which prioritised spending on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

“While reducing waiting times is essential, this approach has led to a growing dependency on the NTPF, with over 40% of public patients treated in private hospitals in 2024.”

“State spending on NTPF has increased significantly in the last five years, from €75m in 2019 to €230m in 2025. Yet, we have not seen a corresponding investment in building real additional capacity in the public system, both in terms of staff and beds. This further embeds the public/private healthcare divide and delivers no new public services.”

The Labour TD said the current approach is “convoluted” and that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is not helping matters.

“The convoluted Common Appraisal Framework set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is also adversely impacting the progression of capital spending plans, forcing health administrators to target smaller projects,” she said.

“We need a whole-of-Government approach to ensure that the necessary health capacity is built. This includes streamlining capital spending processes, investing in public hospital infrastructure, and reducing our reliance on private providers. Patients deserve timely access to care, and it’s time for the Government to deliver on its promises.”