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".
The Teamwork Report included a number of recommendations to improve patient care in the region. It particularly highlighted the need to develop a high quality, responsive emergency and planned service, in line with international standards. It recommended that there be one major regional hospital in the North East, supported by five local hospitals. The new hospital is to provide emergency and trauma services on a 24 hour basis and also provide planned specialist procedures that are complex and require the facilities of a large regional hospital.
The hospital reconfiguration process is being overseen by the HSE Steering Group which is leading the project. No decision has been made to date on the location of the new hospital. A sub-committee of the Steering Group has been established to progress the issue of site selection. A tender for consultancy is to be awarded shortly for an independent site location study. The study will take account of various criteria including demographics, access, planning and development considerations and interdependencies.
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.