Yearly Archives: 2015

Denis Doherty examines how Ireland can avoid achieving the status of becoming the most overweight people in Europe.

If we wanted it, Ireland could probably afford a system of Universal Healthcare but we would need to develop a consensus on what we should include in the package and what would not be covered, Prof. Charles Normand, Edward Kennedy Professor of Health Policy and Management at Trinity College, Dublin, told the HMI Dublin Mid Leinster Forum held in the Dublin Dental Hospital. Maureen Browne reports.

We needed to change the emphasis on hospitals in the health service debate and see very clearly the effects of demographics and social care challenges on the hospitals, Mr. Liam Woods, HSE National Director of Acute Hospitals, Hospitals, told a HMI South Seminar in Cork University Hospital. Maureen Browne reports.

Next year the HSE was looking at taking hospitals off the block grants and creating a new model of care, which over time should result in better patient care and better outcomes, Ms. Maureen Cronin, HSE Assistant Chief Finance Officer and Head of the HSE Healthcare Pricing Office told a HMI Forum in Cork last Friday. Maureen Browne reports.

The former Quality and Patient Safety Directorate has now evolved into two distinct divisions, to give it an enhanced role, writes Dr. Philip Crowley, National Director, HSE Quality Improvement Division.

Health Managers may be interested in this events.

Change For The Better

Denis Doherty takes a wry look at what Francis Brennan might say if he was called in to try and sort out our hardest pressed hospitals.

From Dublin to Ethiopia – with love CHO Chief Officers Interim CEO at St. Vincent’s Acting Director Quality Assurance & Verification Director Health Business Services National Director National Ambulance Service Training hours are working hours Managed maternity network Ombudsman for Children Neonatal Intensive Care Unit opened First private clinical teaching and research hospital Beacon Hospital Deputy CEO New laws to regulate surrogacy Have your say on identifiers A new era in mental health services Hospital hand hygiene improving HIQA publishes electronic prescribing standards Universal GP services for over 70s Visit the new HMI website

The lack of resources for training and development of health managers and potential health managers has resulted in an approaching crisis in the recruitment and retention of these managers. Maureen Browne reports.

The current Health Technology Assessment (HTA) means the Government is willing to pay €45,000 for one year of perfect health, writes Ms. Sandra Redmond, Health Outcomes Manager, GSK.

Jennifer Hayes, Department of Psychology, HSE, Cork, describes how she and her colleagues adapted an innovative approach to the delivery of mental health services within the community in Cork. In collaboration with 2 local GAA clubs.

The need to implement a radical change programme necessary to deliver a quality care in the rapidly constraining fiscal environment of 2007 – 2014 was paramount and resulted in significantly increased efficiency and performance in Cork University Hospital, writes Mr. Tony McNamara, Chief Executive Officer, Cork University Hospital.

Ms. Patricia King and Ms. Breedge Finn describe how Beaumont Hospital, Dublin changed how it delivers cardiac interventional services - a change project on the background of technological advances.

Activity based funding will not only count cases – but will measure the complexity of the cases in ‘weighted units of care,’ which can be linked with money allowing much more sophisticated planning and control, writes Ms. Maureen Cronin.

The ambition of the RCSI Hospitals Group, Ospideil RCSI, was to be the first Hospital Trust in the country, Mr. Bill Maher, CEO, of the Group said when he addressed HMI fora in the Dublin North Eastern and Dublin Mid Leinster regions. Maureen Browne reports.

The National Service Plan for 2015 (NSP 2015) indicates that the health services can spend €115 million or 1% more this year than it did in 2014, Mr. Stephen Mulvany, Chief Finance Officer, HSE told a meeting of HMI Regional Forum in Dublin. Maureen Browne reports.

A major challenge for the Saolta University Health Care Group (Grúpa Ollscoile Cúram Slainte) was how to change staff culture from being hospital-oriented people to being Group-oriented people, Mr. John Shaughnessy, Director of HR with the Group told a meeting of HMI West. Maureen Browne reports.

A Major Trauma Network policy for Ireland was being developed, a review of the future location of the Dublin maternity services was due to be completed in April and an application for planning permission for the new Children’s Hospital, including its two satellite centres, would be submitted to Bord Pleanála this summer, Ms. Fionnuala Duffy, Head of the Acute Hospital Policy Unit, Department of Health with responsibility for the establishment of Hospital Groups and the development of the new Children’s Hospital, told a HMI Forum in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. Maureen Browne reports.

Ms. Niamh Callaghan looks at the compliance and changes for hospitals, foundations and charities limited by guarantee as a result of the new Companies Act which has been signed into law and is expected to commence on June 1, 2015.