The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has welcomed the Report on the Future of Healthcare stating it was 'the first occasion on which we have seen political consensus around the need for a single-tier, universal, public healthcare system."
Chair of the Congress Sector Committee, Liam Doran, said: 'the report is a milestone in the development of our healthcare system, as it highlights the fact that we have now reached a consensus across the political spectrum on the necessity to develop a single-tier, universal healthcare system where access is determined by need."
'that is a significant step forward. The challenge now is to ensure that the report is accepted by the government, the necessary funding is allocated - capital and current - and the recommendations are implemented in full.
"Ideally, that process should happen over the next decade."
"If implemented, these proposals could see transformational change for our health services and deliver significant benefits for patients and staff alike," Mr Doran said.
Mr Doran said the Report on the Future of Healthcare would now be considered in full by the Congress Executive Council.
In an October 2016 submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, Congress called for the creation of a 'single-tiered, universally accessible public health service" funded through a system of progressive taxation and a commitment for the state to cease funding private health care, over time.
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