Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 366: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he has informed the professional representatives on the health boards that their services will no longer be required in view of the fact that many of their terms do not expire for several years; and his views on the status of the legislation enabling him to abolish health boards. [9717/04]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The health service reform programme is based on the Government's decision of June 2003. This decision was based on the audit of structures and functions in the health system carried out by Prospectus and the report of the commission on financial management and controls in the health service. Both reports identified this as the most important change required to establish the organisational improvements needed to strengthen the capacity of the health system to meet the challenges of implementing the programme of development and reform set out in the health strategy document, Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You.

The health service reform programme has been brought to the attention of all members of health boards and regional authorities. The Government agreed that health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority will be abolished as part of the overall health reform programme.

Prospectus strategy consultants found that, in an attempt to meet the diversity of patient needs and respond to local consumer and political involvement, a number of structures and functions have been duplicated or executed in different ways. It was accepted that while the intention is often to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders, the result has been weak integration of services and multiple contact points for patients.

The Government also accepted that there is a need to strengthen existing arrangements in relation to consumer panels and regional co-ordinating/advisory committees in representing the voice of service users. These structures incorporate patients, clients and other users, or their advocates. They will work to provide a bottom-up approach to understanding the needs of service users at a regional planning level. These existing models are at different stages of development and will continue to be enhanced. These mechanisms will serve to bring the patients and clients' views and inputs to bear in the decision making process.

I am conscious of the concerns to ensure that there is adequate governance of the new structures in a radically restructured health system. I have agreed to bring more detailed proposals to Government on the representation arrangements shortly. I am satisfied that the new arrangements, combined with the introduction of system-wide best practice governance and accountability systems, will ensure a stronger more effective health system and an improved health service for patients and clients.

The Health (Amendment) Bill 2004 is one of a number of initiatives being undertaken to implement the health sector reform programme on a phased basis. It provides for changes in the legislative provision regarding the membership of the Eastern Regional Health Authority — the authority — the area health boards and the health boards, the abolition of the distinction between reserved and executive functions and the assignment of reserved functions of the authority, the area health boards and the health boards to the chief executive officers and the Minister for Health and Children, as appropriate, and amendments to the Health Acts 1947 to 2001 to implement these proposals. I expect to be in a position to publish this Bill shortly. It is my intention that at the appropriate time contact will be made with health board or authority members to appraise them of the Government's decisions in this regard.

I will be introducing legislation to provide for the establishment of the health service executive to replace the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards. This legislation will also provide the legislative basis for other aspects of the reform programme such as improved governance and accountability, planning and monitoring and evaluation. The establishment of the health information and quality authority, HIQA, on a legislative basis will also be provided for. It is also my intention that the new legislation will include provision for a statutory framework for complaints procedures in the health services as proposed in the health strategy. My intention is to have this legislation introduced by December 2004 so as to have the health services executive in place in January 2005.