Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:105 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, made by the regional departments of public health as established under the health strategy document, Shaping a Healthier Future. [2004/97]
Written Answers. - Health Strategy.
Limerick East): Directors of public health were appointed to the regional public health departments during 1995. Public health medicine specialists and support staff were appointed to the departments in 1996. The role of the public health department includes measurement of the health status of the population, assessment of the need for health services, evaluation particularly of the effectiveness of services, contribution to service planning, advice on environmental health and the surveillance and control of communicable diseases.
The eight regional public health departments have worked together to produce Protocols and guidelines for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. They have defined and agreed the information required for the measurement of the health status of the population and are working with the Department of Health on the compilation of this information.
Within each public health department, a series of initiatives have commenced involving clinical medical staff, other health care professionals and managerial staff in the monitoring and evaluation of health services within each region. Each public health department will present an annual report on the health status of the population. The 1996 reports are being finalised and will be comparable between health boards. Studies assessing the need for health services for various client groups have been carried out in each region and have made a contribution to service planning within that board with a particular focus on equity and quality of services.
Finally, since the establishment of the departments, the collection of information and the response to incidents of infectious disease have been streamlined, and the departments have responded effectively to such incidents within their regions in the last year.