Finian McGrath
Question:230 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will implement the Brennan report immediately. [18012/03]
Written Answers. - Health Service Reform.
Finian McGrath
Question:231 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in any restructuring of the health boards, services for children at risk and children with disabilities will not be reduced in any way. [18013/03]
Finian McGrath
Question:233 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will implement immediately the section in the Brennan report dealing with accident and emergency services and find alternative accommodation for the 25% who occupy acute hospital beds while at the same time respecting their dignity and the quality of service offered. [18015/03]
Finian McGrath
Question:234 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Brennan report will be implemented in a way as not to damage the services to the elderly, children with disabilities and child abuse victims. [18016/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 231, 233 and 234 together.
The Deputy has referred specifically to the Brennan report. However, the questions relate to the health service reform programme more generally. The health service reform programme was announced on 18 June last. 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, known as the Brennan report, and the Audit of Structures and Functions in the Heath System, known as the Prospectus report, 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 re-organisation of the Department of Health and Children to ensure improved policy develop ment 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, to be organised on the basis of three core divisions – national hospitals office, primary, community and continuing care directorate and national shared services centre; and the establishment of a health information and quality authority to ensure that quality of care is promoted throughout the system.
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. This is not a centralisation of services, but a streamlining of the management of the system to create greater efficiencies.
I also reject the contention that the reform programme will in any way damage community based services, particularly services for older people or for children, including children with disabilities. On the contrary, the Prospectus report saw this structure as optimal in terms of allowing the primary care model the opportunity to develop and grow. It also saw the advantage to be gained in distinguishing between acute and primary, community and continuing care, stating that this structure provides the opportunity to reflect the declared priorities of strengthening primary care and reforming the acute hospital sector and allow recognition of the different management demands of each sector in terms of scale, technology, organisation type and delivery mechanism.
In addition, in the area of the primary, community and continuing care, the reform programme provides for a strengthening of existing community care structures. I have already indicated on a number of occasions that services will continue to be delivered through these local health office networks but they will operate within a fundamentally realigned national management structure providing a proper framework within which all primary, community and continuing care services can be integrated. If anything, services for older people and children, and community based services generally, will be strengthened and made more efficient by the changes.
The health service reform programme's priority focus is improved patient and client care, better value for taxpayers' money and improved health care management. The new structures must have a positive impact on the delivery of the Government's health strategy – this is its central premise.
Finian McGrath
Question:232 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if the new health service executive will include people who are professional, efficient and care passionately about the health services. [18014/03]
The health service reform programme was announced on 18 June last. 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 – known as the Brennan report – and the Audit of Structures and Functions in the Heath System, known as the Prospectus report – which were also published on the same day.
The health services are all about people – the patients and clients who receive services, and the people who deliver those services. I take the opportunity to reiterate that there have been many improvements and gains made in recent years within the system. These include the introduction of new services, the extension of existing services and significant increases in activity across the board. This reflects very positively on people working in the health system in responding to the challenges presented by factors such as increasing demand, an ageing population and technology growth.
Both of the reports I mentioned emphasise the valuable role played by staff in the system. Both acknowledge the considerable value of human resources as a key strength of the system. By definition these are people who are professional, efficient and care passionately about the health services. They will also be key to implementing the reform programme.
Questions Nos. 233 and 234 answered with Question No. 230.