Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1905.To ask the Minister for Health if he can intervene in the HSE decision to exclude health and social care professionals from the senior management team in the new HSE health regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35756/24]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1926.To ask the Minister for Health if role development and governance will be consistent across the new regional health areas; and his views on the director of psychology role in the south-west regional health area in this regard.[35890/24]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1927.To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to develop directorships for each discipline as part of the transition to regional health areas; if not, if this will be confined to psychology in the south-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35891/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1905, 1926 and 1927 together.

Health Regions, each led by a Regional Executive Officer (REO), are new HSE structures which now have responsibility for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services for their respective populations.

Each Health Region will have an Executive Management Team (EMT) led by the REO. The EMTs are critical structures for each Region. They will provide the governance and organisational arrangements to enable the planning, management, and delivery of integrated care for people and for communities across their region. Their structure must facilitate clear lines of governance, represent an appropriate span of control for the REO, and ensure that services and staff can benefit from swift and accountable decision making. The structure for these teams has now been agreed and phased recruitment is underway.

Officials from my Department and the HSE considered several combinations for the clinical functions on the EMTs. The approved model was for a single discipline neutral clinical leadership role to sit on the Executive Management Team on the basis that this would provide for clarity of governance and support the delivery of integrated care. However, it was recognised that this might take time to achieve. The HSE CEO therefore decided to have a Regional Clinical Director and an Executive Nurse/Midwife on the Executive as an interim measure and to prepare to transfer to a single, discipline neutral, Clinical Officer over a three year period.

The clinical roles which sit on the Health Region EMT do not exist to represent their professions. Rather, they hold executive accountability for a portfolio of work, which includes collaboration and coordination across professions. This is the best way of delivering integrated care in the interests of patients and service users and breaking down professional silos.

Beyond these EMT positions, the HSE are finalising a regional clinical governance model. Each region will have a regional Clinical Executive consisting of a lead from: Population & Public Health; Medical, Executive Nurse/Midwife, Health & Social Care Professionals, General Practice, Chief Academic Officer, and Quality & Patient Safety. Regions will also develop networks of care, which provide a single governance apex and common design to ensure consistency across the system in standards of practice and service models for defined specialties. It has also been agreed that each REO will also have a regional HSCP advisor who reports directly to them.

The agreed structure does not include a role of Director of Psychology on Regional EMTs. The grade of Director of Psychology has existed in the public health service for more than three decades. It is categorised as a Health and Social Professionals grade. The HSE has delegated sanction to fill posts in any pre-existing grade without needing to seek specific sanction from the Department of Health, once the appointment of a person to any pre-existing grade is within the parameters of the HSE’s Pay & Numbers Strategy. Recruitment for Clinical roles are a matter for the HSE and the Department of Health would not normally be consulted for roles of this nature.

I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputies in relation to the additional queries raised concerning the Director of Psychology post in the HSE South West Health Region.