Written answers

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Department of Health and Children

Health Service Executive

8:00 pm

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 602: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details on the new Health Service Executive structure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39107/09]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The HSE proposed to Government last year that it put in place a number of changes to drive operational performance and accountability at local level, to provide clinical leadership to improve quality and standards and to deliver hospital and community services in a fully integrated way. These changes included:

the appointment of a new Director of Clinical Care and Quality;

the establishment of an Integrated Services Directorate to replace the National Hospitals Office and the Primary, Community and Continuing Care Directorates;

the establishment of four regional management teams, headed by Regional Directors of Operations who would be accountable and responsible for all local health and social care services in the four geographical areas; HSE South, HSE Dublin North East, HSE Dublin Mid Leinster and HSE West;

the appointment of four Care Group leads (Children and Families, Disability, Mental Health and Older People) at national level to ensure that the delivery of services for these groups is planned and provided in an integrated way across the country.

The HSE has worked closely with my Department to implement these changes. The National Director of Clinical Care and Quality has been appointed along with the National Director for Integration (Performance and Financial Management) and the National Director for Integration (Reconfiguration). A recruitment process has been underway for the four Regional Operations Director posts and the four Care Group leads. The HSE announced last month that three of the four Regional Operations Posts (HSE South, HSE Dublin North East, HSE Dublin Mid Leinster) had now been filled, and the process continues for the remaining posts.

The next step is to put in place the regional level structures for all services. Until this work is complete, existing hospital networks and local health offices will remain unchanged and will continue to be responsible for meeting their 2009 responsibilities and accountabilities for service delivery and budgets. They will now report at regional level to their Regional Director.

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