Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the process of reconfiguration of hospital services in the south will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39566/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government is committed to ensuring delivery of the best quality health services possible, in an effective and efficient way. Ensuring patient safety is of paramount importance, so that people can have confidence in the services and that the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved.

The HSE commissioned Horwath Consulting Ireland, in association with Teamwork Management Services, to carry out a review of acute hospital services in the HSE South, based on the principle of securing sustainable and clinically safe acute hospital services. The report was launched publicly on 9 June 2009. Professor John Higgins was appointed as Director of Reconfiguration of Acute Services, Cork & Kerry Region. The Teamwork report proposes a single health care system for Cork and Kerry, with a new governance structure for hospitals and community to encompass the relationship between the health care system and the third level educational sector - UCC and Cork and Tralee ITs. The key principles are that complex clinical care should be concentrated on the Cork University Hospital campus and that the other hospitals should, where possible, provide an expanded range of day surgery, diagnostic and out patient services. The reconfiguration process involves both enhancing primary care services and moving hospital services as close as practicable to people's homes.

It is clear that hospitals will have to change significantly the type of services they provide and the way these are delivered. Reorganisation of services must of course occur in consultation with the key stakeholders and on an incremental basis. I believe that it is important to work with health professionals and other interested parties to secure an increasing set of improvements over time.

As the specific question raised by the Deputy is a matter for the HSE, it has been referred to the Executive for direct reply.