Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney.

The Government is committed to ensuring the delivery of the best quality health services possible and doing so both effectively and efficiently. Ensuring patient safety is of paramount importance, to ensure that people can have confidence in the services and that the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved. The Health Information and Quality Authority was established on a statutory basis in 2007 and is responsible for driving quality and safety in the health and social care services. In 2007 a new Medical Practitioners Act was enacted, the first major overhaul in 30 years of the law regulating the medical profession. In 2007 the Minister also established the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance to develop proposals for a health service wide system of governance based on corporate accountability for the quality and safety of all health services. In this context it is essential that every health care provider and facility is fully cognisant of patient safety issues and takes account of these in the organisation, management and delivery of services.

In respect of Mallow General Hospital, the HSE has indicated that patient safety is of paramount importance to the hospital management and that it intends to undertake a systems and risk management review of surgical services at the hospital. Draft terms of reference are being drawn up and will be discussed with the relevant parties before they are finalised. To ensure that surgical services continue to be delivered safely in the meantime, the hospital management met recently with the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and consultants at Mallow General Hospital and they have agreed arrangements for consultant surgeon cover at Mallow General Hospital, which will apply until 31 May 2008.

The parties have also agreed to meet and discuss arrangements for surgical services after this period. The HSE will continue to work closely with all involved to ensure that a high quality service is available to all patients at Mallow General Hospital.

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