Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role she will have in making decisions on proposed changes to the roles of hospitals in the various regions that are awaiting reports by the consultants Teamwork; her policies on the role of secondary hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22152/08]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to receive the Teamwork report for the mid-west region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22160/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 68 together.

The Health Service Executive has commissioned a number of reviews of the configuration of acute hospital services including those referred to by the Deputies. In each case, the first priority is patient safety. The challenge in the years ahead will be to organise, manage and deliver high quality services that are focused in the first instance on the safety of patients.

The Health Service Executive has commissioned Horwath Consultants in association with Teamwork Management Services to work on the strategic reviews of acute hospital services being undertaken by the Executive in the Mid West and Southern regions. The reviews focus on identifying the best configuration of acute hospital services in these regions including arrangements for A&E, critical care, acute medicine and surgery, together with diagnostic services so that the highest quality of care can be delivered to the population of the regions concerned. The Health Service Executive reviews will act as one of the inputs to decisions on how best to reconfigure acute services in the regions concerned. The Government and the Executive are committed to ensuring that the approach to re-organisation of services is carried out in consultation with the key stakeholders, and that each element is progressed incrementally. I believe that it is important to work with health professionals and other interested parties to secure an increasing set of improvements over time. This approach will, I am confident, produce the best outcome for patients.