Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The development of the medical corps in the Defence Forces forms part of the agreed programme for Government. I am committed to providing a sustainable medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces both at home and abroad. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some time and a review of the provision of medical services has been ongoing as part of the modernisation agenda for the Defence Forces. In view of the complexity of the challenge facing the Defence Forces in this area, I decided to engage PA Consulting to make recommendations on the best means of meeting the medical requirements of the Defence Forces. To meet this objective PA Consulting reviewed the medical services required for the Defence Forces in light of its roles and operations as required by Government, assessed the current arrangements for the provision of medical services and proposed a model for future delivery of medical services.

The consultants recommended a programme of major change. Their report makes a number of recommendations, including a centralised command structure and the creation of a medical services management and administrative function. This structure will provide strategic planning, resource allocation and overall responsibility for the management and delivery of the medical service. They also propose the development of medical officer lead care teams together with a refocusing of medical staff on appropriate clinical tasks. The report also recommends steps leading to a reduction in the number of doctor interventions and medical assessments and better management of health services outsourcing. The structure and systems recommended have been designed to meet the needs and demands of modern Defence Forces at home and overseas and provide medical officers with a fulfilling and rewarding career.

The report reaffirms the need for a dedicated medical corps and addresses the challenges facing the Defence Forces in the recruitment and retention of medical officers. Implementation of the recommendations will result in major change at both strategic and operational levels in the Defence Forces. Thankfully in these difficult times, the report shows that major additional investment is not needed to meet the medical needs of the Defence Forces. Change will be achieved in the main through better use of the available resources. The PA report is an important milestone in addressing the challenges to the provision of medical services in the Defence Forces. Implementation will take time and commitment. This will be achieved in consultation with the representative associations. I have asked that implementation of the recommendations of the report proceed immediately.

The report makes a number of recommendations regarding a governance structure for change delivery in this area. The structure recommended, including a high level steering group composed of both military and civilian personnel, will be used. At a lower level a dedicated programme group with civilian and military representatives will manage the delivery of a suite of projects identified by the consultants. I welcome the recommendations and fully support their implementation. Implementation by the military authorities will commence immediately. Certain recommendations will require further elaboration. Consultation with the representative associations will also take place.

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