Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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187. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the reconfiguration of the South Southwest Hospital group as proposed in Sláintecare; the likely implications on the work of University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50872/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat as an gceist a Theachta. 

As the Deputy is undoubtedly aware, work is ongoing to reconfigure our current Hospital Groups and Community Healthcare Organisations, as we establish six regional structures in line with Sláintecare. 

The Government is fully committed to the implementation of these Regional Health Areas, as outlined in the Programme for Government; in the Department of Health Statement of Strategy; in the most recent HSE Corporate Plan; and in the latest Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan. 

My Department has been working intensively to progress the development of a Business Case for their implementation, and this work is at an advanced stage. 

Initial stakeholder consultations have taken place with more planned, and different regionalisation model options for regionalisation have been developed. 

The models of regionalisation under development differ in terms of scale of autonomy and reporting, for example, and they include intended governance structures and relationships between the Regional Health Areas, the HSE Centre, and the Department. 

As all health and social care services, networks, and existing structures will be integrated within these new regional structures, all Hospital Groups and Community Healthcare Organisations will be stepped down. 

The reconfiguration of the South-Southwest Hospital Group – and the likely implications on the work of University Hospital Waterford – will therefore depend on the finalisation of this work. 

Once a preferred model of regionalisation has been selected as part of the current development process, the Business Case for regional health areas will go before Government for decision in the coming months.