The Minister for Health says no acute hospital will close as a result of the reorganisation of hospitals. James Reilly is announcing details of the restructure which will see 49 hospitals merged into 6 groups. These are:
- Dublin North East
- Dublin Midlands
- Dublin East
- South/South West
- West/North West
- Midwest
Each group will comprise between 6 and 11 hospitals and will include at least one major teaching hospital. Each grouping will also include a primary academic partner "to stimulate a culture of learning and openness to change within the hospital group". The Department of Health also says that robust governance and management structures will be put in place at group level.
It says the introduction of the groups will provide for organisational change in the first instance - giving more autonomy - and over time, the Department says this will help to improve services and deliver better outcomes for patients.
Speaking at the launch Minister Reilly said "The establishment of hospital groups signals a fundamental modernisation of our health system organisation in line with best international practice. The new hospital groups, each with their own governance and management, have been designed so as to provide the optimal configuration for hospitals to deliver high-quality, safe patient care which is cost effective and guarantees better outcomes for patients".
Framework for Smaller Hospitals
The Framework for Smaller Hospitals outlines the need for smaller hospitals and larger hospitals to operate together. The Department says that better co-operation between hospitals will help to maximise the amount of care delivered locally.
Speaking on this issue, the Minister said "Hospital groups will secure the future of our smaller hospitals. When the new groups are established, services can be exchanged between sites. This will result in the maintenance of activity in smaller hospitals and will allow them to focus on the provision of care that is safe and appropriate".
The Department of Health says work on the roll-out of hospital groups will commence immediately and will be overseen by a National Strategic Advisory Group and driven by the HSE, while group Chairpersons and CEOs will be appointed as soon as possible.
Each group will also develop a strategic plan for their future in the first year of their operation. The Department says these plans must describe how they will provide more efficient and effective patient services; how they will reorganise these services to provide optimal care to the populations they serve; and how they will achieve maximum integration and synergy with other groups and all other health services, particularly primary care and community care services.
Following on from this, legislation will be put in place in 2015 to allow for Independent Hospital Trusts to be established.
Tony O'Brien is HSE Director-General Designate. "This is an ambitious and well considered step towards ensuring that Ireland has a high quality, well organised and cost effective framework for the provision of acute hospital services to meet the changing needs of our population. Today marks the beginning of a journey towards a new way of governing and organising our hospital services and the HSE is committed to ensuring that this transition is managed as effectively, safely and swiftly as possible" he said.
Minister Reilly says he is committed to securing and further developing the role of smaller hospitals which he says will provide more services, not fewer.
Under the plan, called "Future Health", larger hospitals will carry out more complex surgeries with smaller hospitals responsible for simpler treatments.
The decision for establishing the new hospital groups was informed by two reports - 'The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a Transition to Independent Hospital Trusts', produced by an expert group led by Professor John Higgins following consultation with stakeholders, and 'The Framework for Development - Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals'. Both of these reports were published today.
Professor of Obstetrics at Cork Maternity Hospital John Higgins:
