Vol. 569 No. 3
147 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the action he intends to take on foot of the audit of the structures and func tions of the health system undertaken by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17529/03]
The health reform programme was announced on 18 June 2003. The programme's priority focus is improved patient care, better value for taxpayers' money and improved health care management. The reform programme has drawn on the conclusions and recommendations of the two reports, the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Service and the Audit of Structures and Functions in the Heath System, which were also published on the same day. The Government considered the recommendations made in both reports and has decided on a number of priority actions to move forward system reform.
These key actions are: a major rationalisation of existing health service agencies to reduce fragmentation, including the abolition of the existing health board-authority structures; the reorganisation of the Department of Health and Children to ensure improved policy development and oversight; the establishment of a health services executive which will be the first ever body charged with managing the health service as a single national entity; the executive to be organised on the basis of three core divisions, namely, a national hospitals office, primary, community and continuing care directorate, national shared services centre; the primary, community and continuing care directorate will be made up of four regional health offices of the health service executive, with existing community care structures at local level, to deliver regional and local services; the establishment of a health information and quality authority to ensure that quality of care is promoted throughout the system; and the modernisation of supporting processes, service planning, management reporting etc., so that they will be in line with recognised international best practice. The new structure set out in this reform programme will provide a clear national focus on service delivery and executive management. It will achieve this through reduced fragmentation and the creation of clear and unambiguous accountability throughout the system.
As an immediate priority, the Government has decided to: establish an interim board of the health service executive and an interim national hospitals office to make early progress on the reform of the hospital sector and to help drive the overall implementation process; launch a communication process with stakeholders based on the Government's decisions – the process has already begun; and put in place robust structures to manage implementation of the reform programme.
