Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 December 2012
33. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the reconfiguration of hospital services in the south east; his plans regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57074/12]
View answer61. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the date on which he or his Department will receive the report on hospital groups (details supplied); the date on which he will publish the report and his plans to progress the implementation of hospital groups; if he will commit to maintaining the cohesion of the south east region as a single hospital group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57022/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 61 together.
A key stepping stone towards the introduction of Universal Health Insurance will be to develop independent not-for-profit hospital trusts in which all hospitals will function as part of integrated groups. The rationale behind the establishment of hospital groups and trusts is to support increased operational autonomy and accountability for hospital services in a way that will drive service reforms and provide the maximum possible benefit to patients. Reform across the three domains of access, quality and resources is not achievable unless there is real clinical and managerial accountability at hospital level.
The work on hospital groups is not about downgrading hospitals. It is about the bringing together groups of hospitals to form single cohesive entities to allow maximum flexibility in management, budgets and service delivery. Hospital groups will be established on an administrative basis pending the legislation required to set up hospital trusts by 2015. Before those trusts are established the make-up and functioning of the Groups will be reviewed and if changes prove necessary then they will be made with Government approval when the hospital trusts are being formed.
With specific regard to the South East, I have stated on numerous occasions recently that Waterford Regional Hospital will remain as one of the 8 existing national cancer care programme centres, with the same population referral base for cancer patients and with all of the associated services required to support this, such as joint consultant appointments (e.g. general surgery shared with Wexford). I have also reiterated that other services currently provided in Waterford, such as invasive cardiology and trauma services will continue to be provided there. The provision of services at any hospital site will, of course, primarily be determined by the appropriate clinical programme for that service, taking account of the population which the hospital serves and services provided by other hospitals which are within a reasonable commute.
Last June I appointed Professor John Higgins to chair a Strategic Board on the Establishment of Hospital Groups. The Strategic Board is composed of representatives with both national and international expertise in health service delivery, governance and linkages with academic institutions. A Project Team was established to make recommendations to the Strategic Board on the composition of hospital groups, governance arrangements, management frameworks and linkages to academic institutions.
The Project Team is currently finalising a Report on the recommendations outlined above, taking account of the observations and comments made by the Strategic Board and of issues which have been raised in submissions by a number of key stakeholders. The report is to be presented formally to me in early January. I will consider it and I will have any further consultation I require carried out as a matter of urgency. The report will then be presented to Government for decision on the composition of hospital groups in light of the recommendations of the Report.
