Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, and the Deputy is aware of my views on it. The structure is not fit for purpose. Let there not be any doubt that I believe the Health Service Executive in its current guise will not be the HSE of the future. I fully accept the necessity to have a national health service body and to drive maternity strategies, standards, cancer programmes, procurement and so forth at a national level. However, we also need to have many responsibilities devolved to hospital groups and community health organisations. Under Sláintecare, it is envisaged that the hospital groups and CHOs will be aligned and this the approach we should take.

To refer to the issues raised by the Chairman, under this approach, we would have a cluster of hospitals, primary care facilities and community settings that can support each other. For example, one hospital will do one type of operation better that others, while another facility may be able to perform another function better. They can link in via the primary care system. Sláintecare landed in the same place as I did on this issue and we have a consensus on the structure we would like in the health service. To use my words, rather than the words used in Sláintecare, this structure should be a slimmed down national HSE with functions that it carries-----