The Government decision of 17 June 2003 provided, inter alia, for the establishment of a health service executive incorporating a national hospitals office, primary community and continuing care directorate and national shared services centre; four regional health offices of the health service executive for the delivery of primary, community and continuing care services, retaining the existing community care structures at local level; and the abolition of the existing health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority and transfer of their functions to the health service executive. I will be bringing a new health Bill to the House in the near future that will provide the legislative framework for this division of responsibilities. The Health (Amendment) Act 2004, which came into effect on 15 June, provided for the abolition of the membership of the seven health boards, the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the area health boards and the assignment of functions reserved to members of the boards to the chief executive officers of the boards and the ERHA.
We are currently in a period of transition to the new system. At this juncture, the ERHA, area boards and the health boards continue to be responsible for the provision of health and personal social services within their functional areas. Persons seeking information on such services should contact the chief executive of the ERHA or chief executive officer of the relevant health board/area board or the relevant ERHA-board staff member with any queries which they might have.
The interim health service executive has been established and is making preparations to establish the health service executive, which will be a single executive authority to manage the health system as a national service. A new CEO has been appointed to the executive and is due to take up this position in Spring 2005.
Yesterday, I announced the four regional areas of the Health Service Executive which are the western region, the southern region, Dublin-north east and Dublin-mid-Leinster. I will forward a copy of the map setting out these new regional boundaries to the Deputy under separate cover. These regional centres are not health boards, but rather units which will assist in the co-ordination of services delivered through the local health offices. This structure will improve patient services and minimise disruption for staff working in existing locations, although functions, roles and responsibilities and lines of accountability may change.
The regional offices will be responsible for performance management, translating national policies through the local areas and gathering and relaying information on a regional basis. Interaction with local communities and their elected representatives through regional fora will also be a key function. Hospitals and local structures for primary, community and continuing care will report to the national directorates in the health service executive. This model of service delivery will bring service decision making closer to the client-patient through the local health offices and will enable the delivery of a flexible and responsive service.
Customer services and public information are among the various elements of planning the transition and integration of services which the interim health service executive is addressing. Local health offices will be a key constituent of the organisational design for delivery of services. The arrangements to be put in place will be published in due course and pending this, individuals should continue to deal with health bodies locally.
