Dinny McGinley
Ceist:123 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children her plans to develop hospital services in the north east; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6219/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 20 February 2007
Ceisteanna (68)
Freagraí scríofa
Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote.
The HSE has established a Steering Group and a Project Group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards across the acute hospital network in the North East Region. The decision was taken having regard to the issues raised in the report prepared for the HSE by Teamwork Management Services — "Improving Safety and Achieving Better Standards — An Action Plan for Health Services in the North East" and taking account of the findings of the report into the death of Mr Patrick J Walsh.
Led by the HSE's National Hospitals Office, the Steering Group has representation from key stakeholders such as clinicians and primary care providers. The Project Group is being led by a Consultant Surgeon from outside the Region.
The Teamwork Report makes a number of short, medium and long-term recommendations. It concludes that the present system, where five local hospitals deliver acute care to relatively small populations, is exposing patients to increased risks and creating additional professional risks for staff. The Report highlights the need to develop a high quality and responsive emergency and planned service, in line with international standards, by developing local services within existing hospitals and other local centres supported by a new Regional Hospital.
The Teamwork Report recommends a three strand action plan in order to provide easily accessible and sustainable local and regional services which are based upon international quality standards;
The development of local services, with the existing five hospitals and primary and community care providers playing central roles,
The development of a new regional acute hospital,
The development of a series of clinical networks which bind these local and regional services and are centred around the needs of patients, including networks for Emergency Care, Surgery and Critical Care.
The HSE has given me an assurance that, in progressing the implementation of this report, there will be no discontinuation of existing services until suitable alternative arrangements have been put in place.