Health unions Briefed on reforms
Michéal Martin Defends proposal
The Government formally launched its initiative for a radical reform of the health service at Government Buildings earlier today
Health boards are to be abolished and replaced with a central Health Executive and four regional offices; a national Hospitals Agency will run the country's hospitals.
The proposals have met with a mixed response from trade unions.
Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses Organisation said he generally welcomed them but warned they should not be used to mask the effects that last year's cutbacks have had on the health service.
IMPACT and SIPTU said the Health Minister had agreed to engage with the unions in trying to agree a process to deal with the changes.
Health Board chief executives have given a qualified welcome to the plans.
The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy said he is happy that the health reforms announced today will eventually lead to a better health system for the public and deliver better value for taxpayers.
The Government is beginning a three-month consultation process to sell its health reform package to staff, local politicians and the public.
Micheál Martin has already begun defending the proposal to replace the health boards with a centralised health executive and four regional offices within three years.
A National Hospitals Agency will run the country's hospitals.
The plan, based on two expert reports commissioned by the Departments of Finance and Health, will streamline management and centralise decision making, at the expense of health boards and local political representatives.
The Brennan Report commissioned by the Minister for Finance called for a radical shake up of the way the entire health system manages its budgets, and called for a single executive to manage the system.
This is similar to the recommendation of the Prospectus report commissioned by the Department of Health, which recommended the abolition of the boards, a central Health Service Executive and greater levels of accountability.
Minister Martin briefed the chairpersons of nine of the of the country's 11 health boards at a meeting in the Department last night.
The political representatives have described the plan as the death of local democracy, and oppose the abolition of the boards.
The Government will circulate 100,000 copies of the 10-page document summarising the Brennan and Prospectus reports through public offices and libraries. It will also be available on the Department's website.
