Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

PA Consultants recommended a programme of major change in relation to Defence Forces medical services. As recommended by the consultants, a number of working groups were set up to progress the various change projects identified. The working groups were tasked with identifying the practical steps which needed to be taken to achieve implementation of the PA vision for the future medical service. The work of these working groups has been completed and a time-bound implementation plan has been drawn up by the officer commanding the new central medical unit to implement the recommendations of the working groups.

A number of the recommendations of the working groups which the plan will implement include a training and development programme for medical personnel, information technology developments, clinical care developments and financial re-organisation.

The central medical unit will be formally established in early 2012. Its establishment will enable the detailed structures, processes and personnel to be put in place within the central medical unit to provide for the support, management and delivery of modern medical services. This new central medical unit will bring all medical personnel under one central command. It will have responsibility for the management and delivery of medical services, including the allocation of medical resources across the system based on operational requirements and demands.

The central medical unit implementation plan has four high level goals. These are to maximise the medical readiness, health and fitness of Defence Forces personnel; to manage and deliver high quality, efficient, effective health care; to maintain a medical capability that can be deployed with flexibility and inter-operability; and to provide expert advice on the provision of medical care and support in a military setting to the general staff.

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While it is at the very early stages of implementation, progress has been made on a number of recommendations, such as the provision of a single annual medical to cover all home and overseas requirements, a recruitment campaign for the appointment of medical doctors to deliver the recommended doctor centred medical service, scoping in relation to the development of the patient medical information system, the appointment of the officer commanding the central medical unit, a study into the potential for external medical services provision, the review of conventional military medical requirement, the establishment of a high level implementation group and the preparation of an implementation plan.

While I have already stated implementation is at an early stage, the detailed implementation plan provides a road map for further progress to be made with many of the other recommendations, such as those relating to the delivery of clinical services, the organisation and establishment of the future medical service, the separation of administration and clinical functions, financial and outsourcing arrangements and training and development.

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