Timmy Dooley
Question:13. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the key priorities in his new health framework document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57063/12]
View answerWednesday, 19 December 2012
Questions (13)
Written answers
On 15 November last, I, together with my colleagues Minister Kathleen Lynch and Minister Alex White launched Future Health: A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012-2015. The core of the Government’s health reform programme is a single-tier health service, supported by Universal Health Insurance and designed in accordance with the principles of social solidarity. Future Health sets out the building blocks towards the introduction of UHI and maps out 48 time defined actions that will be taken to achieve the Government’s objectives.
Future Health is founded on:
- A new focus on health and wellbeing, moving away from simply treating ill people to a new concentration on keeping people healthy;
- Reforming our primary, hospital and social care services so we deliver care at the lowest level of complexity;
- Reforming our structures so we deliver services effectively and efficiently; and
- Reforming our financial systems so we can enhance financial control and create the incentive to deliver cost effective care.
I am determined to maintain access and quality during the reform process. We must address huge financial challenges while keeping services safe and of high quality. For this reason, Future Health proposes that change be implemented in a step by step manner on the basis of good evidence.
I recognise that effective consultation and collaboration with stakeholders will be crucial for the successful implementation of the reform programme. In the two weeks following the launch of Future Health, I met with some 1,500 local clinical and administrative staff and management as well as regional health forums at fifteen different events across the four HSE regions. I was accompanied by my Department and by the HSE Director General designate of the HSE. This proved to be a very valuable and worthwhile exercise as it allowed me to outline my plans directly to frontline staff and management, and to engage in productive discussion and debate on health service reform.
The actions in Future Health are already being implemented as a matter of priority and I will ensure that this progress continues next year. I am confident that with the involvement and support of all of the main stakeholders in the health system, we can deliver on our objectives in the best interest of patients.