TO STREAMLINE HSE IN NEXT 10 YEARS
Minister wants end to crises & fire-fighting by cutting management layers
HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has said the HSE needs to “get past the stage of constant fire-fighting.”
He was speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare yesterday, where he outlined his vision of a slimmed-down body. Mr Harris told senators he wants to break the cycle of crises and transform the HSE into a leading rather than controlling authority “with less management layers between the top and the front line”. The minister said his goal is to “dismantle” the HSE but added reform was necessary as “we can’t wait for this to happen”. He said: “Over the next decade we need to get past the stage of constant fire-fighting to a place where we can have a mature debate about how to set priorities and where to develop our services. “Subject to the committee’s report, I intend to ask my department to come forward with proposals to improve governance arrangements for the HSE for so long as the HSE continues in its current form. This will include examination of the current vesting of governing authority in the HSE Directorate, including the fact the Director General is responsible to the Directorate for the performance of his or her functions. “Once statutory responsibilities and accountabilities are devolved from the centre to hospital and community organisations, [I will] dismantle the HSE and replace it with a much leaner national health agency.” Responding to a question from Roisin Shorthall, Mr Harris slammed financial incentives for consultants to treat private patients above public ones as “perverse” and said urgent steps are necessary to change it. He added: “We have gained much in recent years through national initiatives such as the cancer programme, the integrated care programmes, the Fair Deal scheme and many other areas. “We need to retain such capability and avoid reverting to standalone geographically-based organisations in the mould of the health boards.”
MISSION Simon Harris