Midland Health Board news: July 2003 Item Type Report Authors Midland Health Board (MHB) Rights MHB Download date 25/09/2021 02:09:55 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10147/43435 Find this and similar works at - http://www.lenus.ie/hse Midland Health Board NEWS July 2003 Health Service Reform CONTENTS Minister Micheál Martin Addresses Staff The Health Service Reform Programme . .2 Over 400 staff from all organised in the Board, Board members to hear From before the collaborated to ensure all grades, professions and facilitated by Nicola Fay their views on the government’s programme press releases, statements, locations around the Board and her team. proposed new health for health service reform copies of reports and even turned up at the Tullamore The CEO, Pat Gaughan, structures. was announced to the a video address from Minister Q&A . .3 Court Hotel to hear welcomed the Minister to The Minister’s visit to media, the CEO wrote to Minister Martin were Minister for Health and the Midlands, after which Tullamore was yet one all members of staff available to staff on the Children, Micheál Martin, the Minister addressed further step in the advising them of the Board’s Intranet site on the Diabetes Manual . .4 and the Secretary General staff. This was followed consultation process the Board’s commitment to day of their release. of the Department of by a 20 minute slide Minister and the communicating as With intranet access Health and Children, presentation from Michael Department of Health and effectively and efficiently available to staff through Staff Focus . .5 Michael Kelly, present the Kelly detailing the Chidren have committed as possible any desktop and laptop government’s strategy for proposed new health themselves to in announcements or computers in every Board Health Reform. structures and reasons for implementing any reform. information as it comes to location, and with six Many others watched the the reform. It also was yet another step hand. information kiosks located ISQSH Conference . .6 proceedings live via video Questions were then taken for the Board, in This has been largely throughout the Board from conferencing from the from the floor, and staff facilitating the minister’s achieved through the St Josephs, Longford, to Midland Regional Hospital came well prepared (see visit, to ensure as many Board’s website, where the the Midland Regional Hospital Watch . .7 sites at Portlaoise and report page 3). staff as possible had access Communications Team Hospital at Portlaoise, the Mullingar, the first time Prior to meeting with staff, to the information and the Management Board’s website was the such an event has been the Minister met with available. Services department quickest and most Health Promoting accessible means of communication for staff. Hospitals . .8 Louise Cooney, Website Administrator, also very quickly developed a CD Special Olympics containing the key publications and Volunteer . .11 announcements, which was made available to the Board’s libraries and line Health Information .13 managers. Available on the Board’s website, with direct access from the home page, or • Joint press release from under the publications Health Board CEOs section of the site are; • Video of Micheál Martin • Micheal Kelly’s addressing staff of all presentation on the health health boards service reform programme • Information regarding • Micheál Martin’s speech Micheál Martin’s visit to delivered the day the the Midland Health Board reform programme was announced The consultation process • Press release June 18 on the proposed reforms from Micheál Martin’s will continue throughout office the Summer months. The • The Health Service Office for Health Reform Programme Management has prepared Report a template to facilitate • Brennan Report staff feedback. A copy of • Prospectus Report the form is available on Minister Michael Martin addresses the staff of the Midland Health Board. • Letter from the CEO the Intranet. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SAY The Office for Health locations throughout the relation to organisation rationale for the changes key elements of the reform wish to attend workshops, Management (OHM) has Board’s area will take reform in the health proposed and securing the programme. a form for staff feedback is been requested by the place during the period, system; widest input as to how More information on also available on the Department of Health and July 21st to August 22nd, • have a say in developing implementation can be these workshops will be Intranet. Children to facilitate a 2003. the best way to implement achieved. available from your Line The form can be found on communication/ The purpose of this the programme of reform. The process also aims to Manager. Please also the Intranet site. Click on consultation programme consultation process is to The consultation process maintain staff involvement check the Intranet Health Service Reform on the Health Reform ensure that all our staff: aims to achieve the in the change process and Noticeboard for dates, Programme. Programme in July and • are fully informed about maximum possible make priority times and locations of You can also email your August 2003. the content of the awareness of the Reform recommendations on ways workshops. comments directly to 16 workshops at major Government decision in Programme, explaining the forward for implementing If you cannot or do not [email protected]. You can have your say. 2 MIDLAND HEALTH BOARD NEWS, JULY 2003 THE HEALTH SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME A Summary What will change? budget. The Health health service delivery. • An overall 75% reduction now considered a number health system based on the • A major rationalisation of Service Executive will be Health Information and in the number of Group C of reviews of the health Government’s decisions. existing health service organised on the basis of Quality Authority: Its meningitis cases. service which draw on The process, which will be agencies to reduce three service pillars. responsibilities will be • Regional cancer and local, national and completed by October fragmentation. This National Hospitals built around three related cardiac care services are international sources. The 2003, will be aimed at: includes the abolition of Office: The National functions (I) developing being developed. need for change is clear • Developing the widest the existing health Hospitals Office (NHO) health information; (ii) • Over 550 extra beds in and the Government has possible awareness; board/authority structures. will be responsible for the promoting and new community nursing developed the Health • Explaining the rationale • The reorganisation of the management of the acute implementing quality units are in place Service Reform for the changes proposed; Department of Health and hospital sector nationally. assurance programmes • Over 1,250 extra day Programme around what it • Securing the widest Children, to ensure Specifically the NHO will nationally; and (iii) places have been provided considers to be the major possible input on how the improved policy be responsible for: overseeing health in new day care centres. system priorities. These implementation of the development and • Planning, commissioning technology assessments. Within the structure of the are the need for: reports can be delivered; oversight. and funding all acute Consolidation and current system there is no 1. A national focus on • Maintaining involvement • The establishment of a hospital services Rationalisation: The one agency that is directly service delivery and in and support for the Health Service Executive • Managing the capital Government has decided to responsible and executive management of process; and which will be the first ever programme for these subsume up to 25 existing accountable for the the system. • Making body charged with services agencies into the Health management of the health 2. Reduced fragmentation recommendations on managing the health • Managing national Service Executive, Health system as a national of the current system to priority ways forward for service as a single national waiting lists Information Quality service. As a consequence, make it more manageable. implementation of key entity. The Executive will • Approving consultant Authority or the there is a significant degree 3. Clear accountability elements of the reports. be organised on the basis posts in publicly funded restructured Department of of tension between local or throughout the system Once all the data has been of 3 core divisions: hospitals Health and Children. In regional interests and 4. Better budgeting and received and analysed, a • National Hospitals Office • Contributing to national addition, another seven national policy - which service planning final report will be • Primary, community and policy development bodies will be merged or makes the achievement of arrangements, continuous prepared for the Continuing Care • Ensuring hospital Directorate services are properly • National Shared Services integrated within the wider Centre health system • The Primary, Community • Managing the interface and Continuing Care with private providers Directorate will be made • Ensuring the delivery of up of four Regional Health National Strategies, Offices of the Health especially on levels and Services Executive to standards of care. deliver regional and local Primary, Community services. and Continuing Care • The establishment of a Directorate: This will be Health Information and responsible for the Quality Authority to ensure management and