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Hospital Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2013

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Questions (786, 787)

Dara Calleary

Question:

786. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the make up of the new Mayo Galway Roscommon Health Board; the reason Mayo is not represented on the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5252/13]

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Dara Calleary

Question:

787. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his plans for the future of Mayo General Hospital; the timeframe expected in attaining these goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5253/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 786 and 787 together.

Under the Programme for Government 2011-2016, the Government committed to developing a universal, single-tier health service, which guarantees access to medical care based on need, not income. On foot of this commitment the Government will introduce a system of Universal Health Insurance (UHI).

A key stepping stone to the new system 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.

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.

The provision of services at any hospital site will 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.

Each Hospital Group will have a single consolidated management team with responsibility for performance and outcomes. It is intended that non-executive Boards, consisting of persons with expertise in key competencies such as clinical / business / legal / medical academic / patient advocacy, will oversee each Hospital Group management team and will have responsibility for decisions in relation to services in all hospitals in the Group.

In June 2012 I appointed Professor John Higgins to chair a Strategic Board on the Establishment of Hospital Groups. A Project Team was tasked with developing criteria to assist my Department in the development of policy in relation to the composition of hospital groups, governance arrangements, current management frameworks and linkages to academic institutions. The Team carried out a comprehensive consultation process with all acute hospitals and other health service agencies as well as reviewing a significant number of written submissions.

Work is nearing completion on the draft report on the wider issue of hospital groups: Prof. John Higgins will submit that report to me in early February, I will then bring it to Cabinet for decision. The Government will then decide on the initial make up of hospital groups which will be established on an administrative basis pending the legislation required to set up hospital trusts by 2015. Before those trusts are established the composition 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. As such I cannot comment at this time on the final composition of the new Hospital Groups.

The Galway/Roscommon University Hospital Group was established on a pilot basis in January 2012, consisting of University College Hospital, Galway, Merlin Park Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe and Roscommon Hospital. This was in response to budgetary and service issues in relation to Galway and the movement of services between Roscommon and Portiuncula hospital in line with the principles of the smaller hospitals framework, that service should be delivered as close to a person’s home as possible. This is commensurate with the need to ensure quality and safety in service delivery such that more complex work generally needs to be carried out in larger hospitals.

The Galway / Roscommon University Hospital Group has gone some way towards realising the governance arrangement which will be recommended by the Report with the appointment of Mr. Noel Daly as chairperson of the Board in May 2012. Mr. Daly is former Chief Executive of An Bord Altranais and he has also served in senior management posts in the health services in Ireland and in the UK. In January 2013 the HSE established an interim Board on an administrative non-statutory basis, pending the establishment of Hospital Trusts to manage public hospitals in line with the Governments programme for reform of the health service. The competencies of the individuals appointed are the key to better management of hospitals and it was on this basis that the Board appointments were made. The administrative Board will be replaced in due course by a Trust Board on a statutory basis and may be dissolved and reconstituted at any time to facilitate the development of Hospital Trusts.

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