Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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148. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the success of Kaiser Permanente in California; if his Department is looking to replicate aspects of that business in the health service here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42443/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is implementing a major reform programme in the health sector including significant structural reforms. It has been delivering on the structural reform agenda for the health service in line with the course set out in “Future Health: A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 – 2014” as well as a number of other policy papers which focused on specific areas of the health service including acute hospitals and primary care. In developing these plans, my Department and the HSE examined approaches that have been successful in other jurisdictions, such as Kaiser Permanente, in order to identify initiatives that could work in an Irish setting. This research has helped to inform the changes that are now being implemented. Our reform proposals place an emphasis on the need for integrated care, frequently cited as one of the key benefits of the Kaiser model.

I am happy to report that significant progress has been made in relation to this reform programme. For instance, the HSE recently launched the "Community Healthcare Organisations Report". This Report sets out plans for a comprehensive reorganisation of health services outside the acute hospital system. It will involve the present 17 Integrated Service Areas being replaced by nine Community Healthcare Organisations, which will be part of the HSE. The primary focus is to provide the maximum proportion of care to people in the communities where they live and to achieve joined-up, integrated services. The new structures will have a strong focus on building good linkages with the acute hospital system so that people’s care pathways are appropriately planned and their needs met in the right setting.

A new structure is also being implemented for acute hospitals through the establishment of seven Hospital Groups. Under the new model, Hospital Groups will be given greater leadership roles and more operational freedom. They in turn will be responsible for the delivery of hospital services within a performance and accountability framework relating to specific legal, corporate, clinical, financial governance and performance requirements. This new model combines the advantages of devolved decision making, such as flexibility, innovation, and local responsiveness. These seven Hospital Groups will see the retention of a commitment to centrally prescribed national objectives and standards, offering enormous potential to enhance the quality and safety of the care provided in a more cost effective manner.

In addition to implementing the above, my Department is also currently developing a detailed policy in relation to the new health structures that will replace the HSE and meet our key objectives of greatly improving the delivery of services for patients and the introduction of Universal Health Insurance.

Collectively, these new structures represent a comprehensive reorganisation of the health services, with a focus on providing high-quality, cost-effective and integrated care across the system as a whole.