Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2294.To ask the Minister for Health the status of the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan (2024-2026), which is to replace HSE Annual Winter Plans; the timeline for approval by the HSE Board and himself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32325/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan (UEC) 2024-2025 has replaced the HSE Annual Winter Plans.

The HSE UEC Operational Plan 2024/25 is built on the foundations provided by the actions and initiatives implemented through the 2023/24 UEC plan. The continued implementation of successful actions has been informed through After Action Review analysis of the full plan during the period of highest UEC demand, December 2023 to the end of February 2024.

Ambition has been built into the plan by reducing the threshold for the Delayed Transfers of Care KPI from 440 to 350, and by the expansion of the 24hr Patient Experience Time KPI to cover all-ages, and not only for patients aged 75 years old and over. These elements have already been adopted by the HSE in its delivery of Unscheduled Emergency Care.

The 2024/25 UEC Operational Plan was noted by Government in early July and full implementation is expected by the HSE.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2295.To ask the Minister for Health the number of vacant posts in the HSE on 31 December 2023; the number that had been allocated funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32326/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is an operational matter I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2296.To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the HSE’s transition to regional health areas; if he expects the management of hospital groups and CHO to be stood down by the end of September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32328/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to the implementation of Health Regions, as outlined in the Programme for Government.

The implementation of HSE Health Regions involves the establishment of six regions with responsibility for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services within their respective defined geographies. These new arrangements aim to improve the health service’s ability to deliver timely integrated care to patients and service users, care that is planned and funded in line with their needs at regional and local level.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that there has been significant progress in the transition to Health Regions in the past six months. A programme transition plan is in place with actions being progressed and monitored in line with the Health Regions Implementation Plan. A Health Regions Programme Steering Group, chaired by the HSE CEO meets regularly to progress and oversee the transition.

I am sure the Deputy is aware that the Health Regions commenced on 4 March 2024 and the six Regional Executive Officers have commenced their roles. The revised HSE Senior Leadership Team, which includes the six REOs, is also now in place. Further reconfiguration of the HSE Centre is underway to ensure it is best placed to fulfil its role supporting the Health Regions in planning, enablement, performance, and assurance.

The structural design of the Executive Management Teams (EMT) for each of the six Health Regions has been agreed and phased recruitment for roles is underway. One of the key principles agreed by Government is that, outside of the appointment of the six REOs, the revised structures and transition approach must be achieved within current resources. This means that all recruitment is Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) neutral and grade neutral. I confirm that the EMTs will assume their roles and, correspondingly, Hospital Groups and CHOs will be stood down by the end of September 2024.

In addition, it has been agreed that there will be 20 Integrated Health Areas (IHAs). These are the sub-regional geographies which will provide will provide integrated acute and community care for their populations. The design phase of the Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model that underpins the IHAs is well underway and builds on work conducted in 2023. Several workshops with representatives from all the main stakeholder groups (including patients and people who avail of our health and social care services) took place in May and June 2024 and further engagement is planned. There is significant REO involvement in the development and delivery of the ISD design.

My Department continues work to develop a population-based resourcing approach (PBRA) to service funding within the Health Regions. A DoH-chaired expert group with responsibility for further developing the PBRA methodology was established in March 2024 and continues to meet regularly. It is anticipated that a shadow process will be undertaken for Estimates 2025, which will inform wider implementation from 2026.

As I am sure you can appreciate, the HSE is in a transition period during which further phased changes will take place. My Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of this policy reform. This work will establish a continuous learning feedback loop alongside a longer-term assessment of impact. The evaluation will support the HSE and DOH to share common barriers and enablers and to identify where reforms are working well or where there are opportunities to improve.