asked the Minister for Health the level of management, training and retraining which takes place for the different managerial positions in the health service including administrators, directors of community care, secretary managers in hospitals and health board management personnel; and if he has any new proposals in this area.
Written Answers. - Health Service Management, Training and Retraining.
182.
A variety of programmes of training and development in general management skills are availed of by management in the health service including those run by such bodies as the Irish Management Institute and the Institute of Public Administration.
Specific professional training in specialist areas such as personnel and financial management is also provided by the relevant professional bodies and by the IPA. Special educational programmes in management are available through the Institute of Hospital and Health Service Administrators and the BA in Public Administration offered by the IPA. Staff have also been encouraged to undertake the special course leading to a certificate in health economics awarded by the University of Aberdeen. Senior health managers have been sponsored to attend the well-known management development programme of the King's Fund Centre in London and the IPA has developed new programmes for senior management development for the health boards in association with the King's Fund Centre. With regard to directors of community care, management skills form an important part of the higher training programme of the faculty of community medicine.
The question of further steps to be taken to strengthen the capacity of health service managers to meet the challenges facing them is under examination in my Department in association with the employing authorities.