The Health Service Executive has said providing timely access to healthcare and service performance data is a priority.

The executive was responding to a major European Health Consumer Index study, which found that Ireland's health service has fallen from 14th place to 22nd.

The study, which includes 36 countries, found that the official waiting list data in Ireland have lost credibility after six years of persistent patient criticism.

It found that patient empowerment is on a level with Romania, waiting times are as long as in Sweden and healthcare inequality is evident.

The Netherlands is top of the league, followed by Switzerland, Norway and Finland.

The index is compiled from public statistics, patient polls and independent research, conducted by Health Consumer Powerhouse Limited, a Sweden-based private company.

The HSE said there are positive references in the study, compared to other countries, on the quality of patient outcomes, ease of access to medicines and a reduction in MRSA infections.

It said the fall in Ireland's ranking is due to the decision by the survey not to take account of published waiting list and waiting time data, but to draw conclusions only from the results of commissioned surveys of patient organisation.

The Irish Patients' Association has said the report shows a high fall from Ireland's 14th position just a year ago.

IPA Director Stephen McMahon called on those in positions of responsibility in the healthcare system not to shoot the messengers.

He said the report card is telling Irish people the bad news about access to the acute health system for public patients.

The association said it had repeatedly challenged why some 380,000 public patients, equal to almost 15% of all public patients, are waiting a year or more for their first consultant-led appointments.

Mr McMahon said patients can wait many months for a simple diagnostic test and then wait months, if not years, for elective surgery.

He said that if someone becomes very ill and needs to go to the local emergency department, they can be treated in unsafe conditions, where some consultants say there are many preventable deaths because of the conditions and pressures.

He said the report card from the European Health Consumer Index needed urgent attention by policy makers and Government.