The national health strategy, Quality and Fairness — A Health System for You, sets out this Government's vision for the development of health and personal social services into the future. The strategy sets out the key objectives for the health system: better health for everyone; fair access; responsive and appropriate care delivery; high performance. To achieve these objectives it is recognised that major change needs to take place in the health system, including organisational reform, strengthening primary care, reforming the acute hospital system and developing information.
The national health strategy is backed up by numerous reports which deal with specific areas mentioned above. These reports include: "Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Services", Brennan; "Audit of Structures and Functions in the Health System", Prospectus; "Primary Care — A New Direction"; "Acute Hospital Bed Capacity — A National Review"; "Health Information — A National Strategy" and "National Task Force on Medical Staffing", Hanly. The report of the national task force on medical staffing or Hanly report made a series of important recommendations regarding the development of hospital services. Responsibility for building on the recommendations of the report regarding the organisation of hospital services has been transferred from the Department to the national hospitals office, NHO, of the Health Service Executive. The NHO's key priority is to ensure that patients, wherever they live, have equitable and rapid access to high quality hospital care.
The Department and the NHO will continue the planned investment in new hospital facilities, new consultant posts in a team based system and the organisation of services around hospital networks.
