Minutes of Meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, Held On
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Minutes of Meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, held on Tuesday 28 th September, 2010 at 2.00pm in Room 1, Education Centre, HSE Offices, Merlin Park, Galway Miontuairiscí cruinnithe an Fhóraim Réigiúnach Sláinte, ar an Mháirt, 28th Meán Fómhair, 2010 ag 2.00 i.n, sa an tIonad Oideachais, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte, Páirc Mheirlinne, Gaillimh. Chairperson /Cathaoirleach Councillor Pádraig Conneely Members Present /Comhaltaí i Láthair Cllr Liam Blaney Cllr Michael Hourigan Cllr Tom McNamara Cllr Rose Brennan Cllr Gordon Hughes Cllr Brian Meaney Cllr John Carroll Cllr Colm Keaveney Cllr Michael Mullins Cllr Tom Connolly Cllr John Kelly Cllr Paul Murphy Cllr Joe Cooney Cllr John Kennedy Cllr Annie May Reape Cllr Ger Fahy Cllr Frank McBrearty Jr Cllr Gerry Reynolds Cllr Laurence Fallon Cllr Sean McGowan Cllr Jerome Scanlan Cllr Jimmy Harte Cllr John “Rocky” McGrath Cllr Tony Ward Cllr Imelda Henry Cllr Bernard McGuinness Cllr Seamus Weir Cllr Mary Hoade Cllr Gerry McLoughlin Apologies /Leithscéalta Cllr Declan Bree Cllr Tim Broderick Cllr Ciaran Brogan Cllr Richard Butler Cllr Catherine Connolly Cllr Michael Crowe Cllr Gerry Murray Cllr Malachy Noone Cllr Kevin Sheahan In Attendance /I láthair freisin Mr. John Hennessy, Regional Director of Operations, HSE West Mr. Francis Rogers, Asst Nat Director, Human Resources, HSE West Mr. Liam Minihan, Asst Nat Director, Finance, HSE West Ms. Chris Kane, Office of the Regional Director of Operations, HSE West Ms. Catherine Cunningham, Office of the Regional Director of Operations, HSE West Mr. Bernard Gloster, Local Health Manager, HSE West Mr. Pat Dolan, Area Operations Manager, HSE West Sligo/Leitrim Mr. John O’Brien, National Director and ISA Manager (Interim) HSE Mid West Mr. Frank Murray, Area Operations Manager, HSE West, Mayo Dr. David O’Keeffe, Clinical Director, Galway University Hospitals Mr. John Hayes, Area Operations Manager, HSE West, Donegal Mr. Paudie O’Riordan, Chief Ambulance Officer, HSE West Dr. Jacky Jones, Functional Manager Health Promotion, HSE West, Mr. Michael O’Brien, Mayo General Hospital, HSE West Mr. Joe Molloy, Assistant National Director, Estates Dept. HSE West Apologies /Leithscéalta Mr. Pauric Sheerin, Chief Ambulance Officer, HSE West _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ques&Respon#29_28.09.10 1 301/29/10 Minutes /Miontuairiscí The minutes of the previous meeting held on the 25 th May, 2010 were proposed by Councillor Gerry Reynolds, seconded by Councillor Tom Connolly and adopted. 302/29/10 Matters Arising /Nithe ag éirí Councillor Brian Meaney requested an update in terms of the answers to Questions during the period of the Industrial Action. Action: Mr. John Hennessy undertook to have all replies out to the members in advance of the next meeting of the Forum. 303/29/10 Chairman’s Business /Gnothai an Chathaoirligh Item Deferred 304/29/10 Reports by Chairpersons of Committees/Tuairiscí Cathaoirligh na gCoistí Councillor Tom McNamara, Chairperson of the PCCC Committee reported on the last meeting of the PCCC Committee as follows: The last meeting of the PCCC Committee took place on Tuesday 7 th September, 2010 in Room 1 the HSE Offices, Merlin Park, Galway. A total of 9 members attended the meeting. Minutes & Matters Arising Minutes of last Committee meeting on May 11 th were agreed. Matters arising from the Minutes & Actions: • Page 3 re no. of staff employed by HSE’s Central Business Unit is currently 31, not 32 – this Corporate Planning and Corporate Performance Directorate also includes the Business Intelligence Unit and HealthStat section. • Cllr. Connolly to revert to Forum regarding City Council plans for reconfiguration & upgrade of Westside pitches site; suggestion for HSE (Health Promotion) involvement in future plans. • A/RDO to raise possibility of CE schemes being used to assist in staffing for palliative care day services in Mid- West. • A/RDO to request HSE Estates office to undertake formal assessment on suitability of St. Anne’s premises in Taylor’s Hill, Galway for use by HSE. Concerns were expressed about high numbers on waiting lists for hospital in-patient public beds who are then referred to National Treatment Purchase Fund – private sector expanding while public beds are being reduced. Councillors also indicated risks involved in change of discharge procedure where patients are released home at a much earlier stage following treatment. Action – Local management to arrange briefing sessions to apprise local Oireachtas & Forum members them of cost saving measures proposed and impact these will have on local services. These briefings will take place once current discussions with unions have been completed, and in advance of next Forum meeting on 28.9.10. Finance Dept will provide details of 2008 & 2009 budgets for comparison purposes with 2010 at next Forum. A/RDO will request Estates Manager to examine issue of HSE-owned empty premises and expenditure on leasing premises by HSE – presentation to be made on this at next Forum. Update on Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in Limerick will be given to Cllr. Scanlon – reduction in services may be due to annual funded targets being exceeded due to high levels of winter breakages in January. A/RDO to seek clarification on recycling of Aids & Appliances and reasons why some items, e.g. crutches, are not reused. AoB A/RDO indicated that the Regional Health Forum office is now amalgamated within the Regional Director of Operations office for HSE West. Ques&Respon#29_28.09.10 2 Update on Ballymote primary care facilities provided to Cllr. Bree who will follow up with Sligo County Council. Next Meeting of the Regional Health Forum, West – PCCC Committee The next meeting of the PCCC Committee will take place on Tuesday 7 th December, 2010 – venue to be confirmed at a later date. Councillor Austin Francis O’Malley, Chairperson of the Hospital Committee reported on the last meeting of the Hospital Committee as follows: The last meeting of the Hospital Committee took place on Tuesday 7 th September, 2010 in Room 1 the HSE Offices, Merlin Park, Galway. A total of 17 members attended the meeting. Minutes & Matters Arising Minutes of last Committee meeting on May 11 th were agreed. − An update was requested on the rolling theatre closures and what theatres in Galway were actually operational today. A/RDO responded that 16 out of 18 theatres in UHG and both in Merlin Park Hospital were functioning on that day, 7.9.10. − While praise was given for the various Health Promotion initiatives currently running throughout the West, request was made for a balanced approach to be taken to service reductions and the value of such projects in light of reductions in critical frontline services. − Interviews for Consultant posts at Portiuncula (Paediatrician, GI & Colorectal) to be held by end Sept; meanwhile, locums are in place. − Concerns expressed re high rates of absenteeism and queried how much of this is due to staff stress levels being exacerbated by the current climate of uncertainty and service reductions. This level of detail may not be available. Areas with high levels of absenteeism are targeted by HR for intervention – Chris Kane will contact HR and circulate absenteeism rate details for HSE West. − Concerns expressed about recent shortage of staff on night duty at Nenagh General Hospital - General Manager to contact Cllr. John Carroll directly. − Proposed €50m extension to Sligo General – Cllr. Henry questioned the logic in the current climate for such a project to proceed. Chris Kane clarified that the project has only been approved to proceed to design stage and is for improvement/upgrade of facilities to meet HIQA standards and includes single room isolation requirements. Current Financial Position – HSE West Bernard Gloster, Acting RDO, presented a briefing made to Galway & Mayo Oireachtas members on 3.9.10 regarding the current financial status of HSE West. This included an overview of the budgetary challenges placed upon HSE West this year and the obligation to break-even by year end, despite budgetary reduction by €128m, and also meet Service Plan targets. The presentation also focussed on actions currently underway and further actions which will be required to achieve a targeted reduction of €12m per month to year end (July figures projected year end deficit of €65.7m). Copy of the presentation was circulated to the Councillors. Several Councillors indicated their frustration about the lack of communication from HSE management to date and the impossible situation that puts them in with regard to constituents and media. Concerns expressed by several Councillors regarding current waiting lists (including ENT waiting list for children) and exacerbatory effect of current budgetary shortfall and recruitment moratorium. Viability questioned of having consultants work two sites both in Sligo General & Letterkenny General rather than patients having to travel for consultation/treatment, Councillors stated that they feel that services should be provided in each hospital and not just because consultant staff have to travel. Chris Kane responded that issue of consultant co-location is not simply travel, but also involves out-patient support staff including nurses, assessment & surgery Ques&Respon#29_28.09.10 3 facilities, theatres, etc. So it is more cost efficient to have the consultant based at one hospital but covering the Sligo/Donegal region. Chris Kane also gave presentation on the financial situation specifically in Acute Hospitals in the region (also circulated to Councillors). By end August 2010 the total no. of beds closed since 2009 was 349. Some have been converted to day beds and some 7-day wards have been converted to 5 day services. Targets for elective surgery have exceeded funded levels in some sites so any further elective surgery in these areas may be curtailed for the remainder of 2010. Day care will replace in-patient care where appropriate and pre-assessment clinics will obviate the need to admit patients a day before surgery.