The History of the South Eastern Health Board
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History of the South Eastern Health Board 1971 - 2004 Item Type Report Authors South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) Publisher South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) Download date 26/09/2021 01:44:38 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10147/251495 Find this and similar works at - http://www.lenus.ie/hse THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD South Bord Eastern Slainte Health an Oir- Board ' Dheiscirt 1971 - 2004 HSE South East Library Service, Lacken, Dublin Road, Kilkenny, Ireland. Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhise Slainte Telephone: 056 7784174 Health Service Executive Fax: 056 7784398 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hselibrary.ie/southeast With compliments Ml THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD 1971 - 2004 Published May 2005 Typesetting and Printing by: KILKENNY PRINT & GRAPHICS LTD., Hebron Business Park, Kilkenny. Tel: (056) 7765902 THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 5 Foreword - Chief Executive Officer 7 Chapter 1 - Introduction 9 Chapter 2 - Acute Hospitals 19 Chapter 3 - Community Care 59 Chapter 4 - Mental Health and Services for Older 79 People and People with Disabilities Chapter 5 - Central Services 109 Chapter 6 - Board Members 119 Chapter 7 - Management Team 129 Chapter 8 - What It Said In The Papers 135 Chapter 9 - Sporting Lives 147 Chapter 10 - Epilogue 163 -...:«£'/££88^ •.'.' ?f .C.'J THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks are due to the many people who helped in the Eugene Halley, Jeanne Hendrick, Dr. Jim Morrison, production of this History of the South Eastern Health Mick McCauley, Loughlin Nolan, Sarah O'Keeffe, Board. Cathal O'Reilly, Patricia Sullivan, Kathleen O'Toole, Con Pierce, Jo Redmond, Peter Ryan, Dr. Neville De I was honoured to have been asked by the CEO, Pat Souza, Dara Purcell and Tom Brett. McLoughlin, to undertake the task and I thank him for his encouragement and help at all times. I am also grateful to those people who shared their memories and made some useful suggestions. While researching the book, I received assistance from many friends and former colleagues in the health Unfortunately it was not possible to include all items service. Seamus O'Doherty, Ann Tierney and Audrey submitted due to restrictions on space. The selection of Lamboum read early drafts and I am grateful to them for photographs caused some headaches and a random their constructive criticism. Seamus also researched and selection of a small number from each county in the compiled Chapter 9, recognising the sporting region are included. achievements of many of our staff, both past and present. I would, in particular, like to thank Deirdre The task of choosing a number of employees to profile Dunne who read and edited the final text. was not an easy one. In an organisation employing thousands of people, a wealth of talent was available for Early drafts were typed by Bernadette Prendergast and I consideration from staff who gave outstanding service wish to thank her and other staff in St. Luke's Hospital, over the past 34 years. Many were considered, but all Clonmel, especially Michael Boland, for all their help. could not be chosen. Having consulted with senior staff, I have included what I hope is a representative selection The final manuscript was typed by Anne Bolger and her of people, who served throughout the region. accuracy, speed and good humour made it a pleasure to work with her. I am grateful to Jim Fogarty, County My main sources of information were, the Annual Librarian, Kilkenny, and his staff for all their help and Reports/Estimates of the SEHB 1972-2004, minutes of courtesy extended to me. the monthly meetings of the SEHB, Newsletters of SEHB 1995-2004 and reports of board meetings in local I am most grateful to the following who supplied me newspapers in the region. with information and photographs or helped me in other ways: Ann Anglesey, Mairead Brett, Tom Buckley, Eamonn Lonergan Seamus Butler, Mairead Cantwell, Jim Creagh, Elaine February 2005 Daly, Patricia Doheny, Austin Flynn, Tony Gyves, ~~|Sfr3lp^-= ^ ^ ~ THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD FOREWORD - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Examining the contents of this History of the SEHB, we can be very proud of the achievements and develop ments which nave taken place over the past 30 years. The SEHB has grown enormously between 1971 and 2004 - both in tne number and size of its facilities and in the extent of the services it delivers. Taking over the running of the regional health services in the early 1970s was a challenge - communications and infrastructure were poor, money was scarce and services were limited. From the beginning, the SEHB laid out its vision and plans for the delivery and development of services. The service provided to the public of our region today is in stark contrast to what they have left behind them a legacy of dedication and was available in the early '70s. This success is due in no commitment. small way to the sheer dedication by the various management teams and their staff down through the I would particularly like to thank Eamonn Lonergan for years. Two people who played enormous roles in this his research skills in compiling and writing this history. transformation were my two predecessors as Chief Eamonn, who is himself a retired member of our staff, Executive Officers - Peter McQuillan and John Cooney has often burned the midnight oil over the past year - whose persistence in often very difficult times resulted gathering the information, sifting through photographs in achieving the best for the people of the region. and delving into records in many libraries in order to give us a general flavour of the Board's business over the Of course, the Boards of the SEHB were instrumental in past 30 years. I congratulate him on this publication and the strategic development and planning of services - wish him success in his future historical ventures. both at a local and regional level. Members worked tire lessly to ensure that the people they represented were I would also like to thank the editorial and secretarial heard and their needs identified. The input of the Board team for their support to Eamonn over the past year, and members is illustrated throughout this commemorative to the many members of staff, past and present, Board history in relation to the various discussions and debates members and the public who provided them with which took place in the Board Room over the years. information and photos. This publication is a tribute to the many people, past It is fitting that in this year of change, we should mark and present, who gave their time, expertise and talents the success of the South Eastern Health Board. to the development and delivery of our health service. As you will read, many people who made enormous Pat McLoughlin contributions over the years have since passed on, but Chief Executive Officer THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH BOARD REAMHFHOCAL AN PHRIOMH OIFIGIGH FHEIDHIUCHAIN Nuair a dheanaim scrudu ar an meid ata faoi tharla sa seomra Boird ins na blianta ata thart. chaibidil ins an leabhran staire seo i dtaobh Bord Slainte an Oir-Dheiscirt, mothafm brod as an meid Ta an leabhar seo mar omos don oll-mheid daoine ata bainte amach agus an fhorbairt ata tarlaithe le 30 san la inniu agus cheana a thug a gcuid ama, bliain anuas. saineolas agus buanna ar mhaithe le forbairt agus solathair na seirbhfse slainte. Thainig fas oll-mhor ar Bhord Slainte an Oir-Dheiscirt Mar a leifidh tu, ta ana chuid acu siud a thug uatha idir 1971 agus 2004 - nf h-amhain i lion agus meid a go mor anois imithe ar shlf na ffrinne ach ta gcuid seirbnise ach i reimse leathain na seirbhfse a oidhreacht i dtearmaf duthrachta agus dualgas fagtha sholatharafodh. Ba dushlan e riaru na seirbhfsf acu linn. reigiunda slainte i dtus na seachtoidf - nf raibh cursaf cumarsaide na infrastructure ro-mhaith, bhf airgead Ba mhaith liom ach go hairithe bufochas a ghabhail gann agus bhf teorainn ar seirbhfsf.6n tus, shocraigh le Eamonn Lonergan maidir lena scileanna taighde Bord Slainte an Oir-Dheiscirt ffs agus plean maidir le d'usaid chun an stair seo a scrfobh. Is iar ball foirne solathair agus forbairt ar seirbhfsf. Ta na seirbhfsf ata e Eamonn agus ta ana fhuinnimh caite aige sa toir ar inniu ar fail do phobail an reigiuin ana fhada on meid eolas agus griangrafanna. Ta sar obair deanta aige ag a bhf ar fail ag tus na seacntoidf. D'eirigh linn an scrudu na taifid agus na leabharlannaf chun bias a eacht seo a bhaint amach agus ana bufocnas ag dul thabhairt duinn ar ghnoithf an Bhoird le 30 bliain do na foirne bainaistafochta eagsula agus a gcuid anuas. Traoslafm leis ar an bhfoilsiuchain seo agus lucht foirne sfos trf na blianta. Ar bheirt acu siud a gufm gach rath air sa todhcaf agus e ag pie le abnar d'imir sar phairt ins an gclaochlu seo, bhf an da staire. Phrfomh Oifigigh Fheidhiuchain a chuaigh romham - Peter McQuillan and John Cooney. Bhf an cur chuige Ba mhaith liom chomh maith, bufochas a ghabhail acu in amannta deacair mar bhunus le dea-thorthaf leis an bhfoireann eagartha agus runafochta a bhf ina maidir leis an gcuid is fearr a ghnothu don bpobal sa thacafocht ag Eamonn le blian anuas, agus leis na reigiun. baill foirne reatha agus iar bhaill, na Baill Boird agus daoine sa phobal a thug eolas agus pictiuirf. Gan dabhat, bhf pairt suntasach chomh maith ag na Boird eagsula ins an fhorbairt straiteiseach agus Ta se oiriunach ins an bliain cinniunach seo i pleanail ar na seirbhfsf, ar bhonn aitiul agus reigiu- dtearmaf athru agus leasaithe go bhfuilimfd ag nach.