Yearly Archives: 2012

Ireland - which was spending more money as a proportion of GDP on the public health system than any other country in the world except for the USA - had to ask itself if this money was being spent wisely and if we were getting good value for this expenditure, Dr. Peter Lachman, Deputy Medical Director, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, NHS Trust, told the HMI Conference. Maureen Browne reports.

New proposals in the health service in England would push the majority of all health service commissioning through GP commissioning groups, with the remainder going to a national commissioning board which would commission high specialty services, Mr. Stuart Bain, Chief Executive, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, told the HMI Conference. Maureen Browne reports.

The Irish health insurance market is in crisis – over 100,000 people (the vast majority between 25 and 34) have cancelled their insurance policies over the last 21 months, there have been huge increases in the cost of claims and we have no idea how much the government will increase public hospital charges or the insurance levy in the December budget, Mr. Dermot Goode of Cornmarket Group Financial Services told the HMI Conference. Maureen Browne reports.

Over 250 health managers packed the 2nd HMI Annual Conference in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin.

Alex White appointed to Primary Care A new role for hospital managers Minister to make recommendation on hospital site Dr. Barry White returns to clinical practice New VHI appointments €1.25million research network New HIQA guidance for managers Increased demand for post abortion care Palliative Care Education Fellowships Fund Interim Chief Operations Officer, Children & Family Service Temple Street Chief Executive

The possibility that health service staff might be asked to work additional hours for a restricted period, was raised by Mr. Brian Kirwan, newly appointed Interim Chief Operations Officer, Children & Family Service and until recently, head of the HSE’s Corporate Employee Relations, when he addressed the HMI Dublin Mid-Leinster Forum, Maureen Browne reports.

We all have a vested interest in Tony O’Brien succeeding; our health service is urgently in need of major reform and if he is successful in achieving improvements we will all benefit. I wish him well; it isn’t going to be easy, writes Denis Doherty.

Health manager, ’Laurence Nightingale’ takes a look at ‘high-performance’ in a health sector context.

Health managers may be interested in these events.

Armageddon day for hospital services

Six years following the introduction of universal health insurance in the Netherlands, there are serious concerns about its escalating cost and the containment of the cost of services in the coming years is now the major challenge facing health managers there, writes Maureen Browne.

Irish cancer survival could improve by up to ten per cent if we successfully implemented well-organised cancer control systems, Dr. Susan O’Reilly, National Director of the HSE National Cancer Control Programme, told the June Dublin Mid Leinster HMI Regional Forum meeting in the Dublin Dental Hospital, Maureen Browne reports.

What is it about our acute hospitals that cause our politicians to treat them with such deference? Individually, the local hospital is often the elephant in the room when healthcare costs are talked about, writes Denis Doherty.

Tony O'Brien to be new HSE Director General How the HSE re-structuring will work Minister’s Policy Adviser Re-organising the health services HSE told not to close beds Temple Street Hospital Opens New ‘Surgical Flat’ Ward Twenty primary care facilities Generic Substitution Bill Design Team for new Central Mental Hospital HSE proposes longer working week for staff

A number of health projects were among the 20 winners of this year’s Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Awards.

A project from Bantry General Hospital to improve the treatment of strokes won a Taoiseach’s award.

A national early warning score for the early detection of illness and management of patients, developed by the HSE National Acute Medicine Programme, won a Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Award. Ireland is the first known country in the world to agree a National Early Warning Score.

The Sacred Heart Hospital in Roscommon won a Taoiseach’s award for its adoption of the Eden Alternative™, a worldwide care philosophy designed to deinstitutionalise and transform the culture and environment of long term residential care.

Many of the recommendations of the HIQA Report on Tallaght (AMNCH) Hospital represent good corporate governance, but there are some recommendations which are potentially dangerous if applied generally, and are possibly an over-reaction to the Tallaght hospital situation, writes Mr. Henry Murdoch.

CompStat is a performance management system underpinned by timely performance measurement and reporting, monthly engagements and web enabled presentation and interpretation, Ms. Orla Treacy, Director of the HSE’s National Health Stat Project, told the HMI Dublin North East Forum in Ardee. Maureen Browne reports.