As leaders we needed to have the ability to influence and guide services, HMI President, Breda Crehan-Roche, said as she opened the packed 2024 Conference in the RDS in Dublin.
“Good leaders help others to reach their full potential, while ensuring that teamwork achieves common goals.
As leaders we need to be good decision makers, we must be trustworthy and consistent in empowering staff, provide clear communication, foster resilience and constantly champion the wellbeing of patients, service users, staff and community in everything that we do to manage and to deliver health and social care services,” she said.
The focus of the Conference was on “Positively Leading through Complex Change in Health and Social Care.”
The President said that in creating an organisational culture of trust, compassion, collaboration, transparency and accountability we could ensure that the patients and service users that we serveed had confidence when their hour of need arose.
“We do not underestimate the challenges of leadership across the health and social care ecosystem and it is on days like this that we come together to share, to learn, to reflect, and to connect with colleagues across the organisation as we navigate significant structural change always remembering as Winston Churchill said that, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
The President said that Health and Social Care was an ever changing, fast-paced and complex environment. As we knew, major reform of the HSE had taken place over the past 12 months with the establishment of the six new Regional Health Areas and change at national level within the public health system.
“We are fortunate to have enablers such as Sláintecare, the cross government initiative and north star to guide integrated care outside of the traditional acute sector setting and Vision for 2030 Better Health Outcomes the touchstones of which are seamless, safe, secure and connected health services to support the health and wellbeing of patients, service users and providers.
“Sláintecare recognises Digital Health Transformation as essential for reform and implementation of integrated care. The commitment of Government in supporting the HSE to drive digital transformation is embodied in “DIGITAL FOR CARE : A DIGITAL HEALTH FRAMEWORK for IRELAND 2024-2030, outlining the government’s vision for a modern, patient/service user centred and sustainable health service that uses the latest digital technology to enable the delivery of universal healthcare, improved quality of care, promotes health and wellbeing, enhances population health, augments capacity, and increases efficiency and productivity while reducing costs.
“Artificial Intelligence will provide significant opportunities for real-time data driven decision making across service design, planning and delivery for all stakeholders, enhancing meaningful participation in and support of health and social care systems to support better planning, superior outcomes, increased access to care and services and by ensuring patient and service user centricity.
“In the words of the late Peter Drucker, ‘The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic.’”
She said that at this conference she was delighted to introduce an expert and exceptional line up of speakers who would lead the discussion and debate. “Health and social care provision represent a broad spectrum of public, private, non-statutory and voluntary providers and the attendees today are from all these sectors. I hope you go away from the conference with renewed energy and enthusiasm to face the challenges of delivering health and social care in times of change, and that you will have acquired additional knowledge and have been inspired by the presentations and discussions. I sincerely hope that you will have met new colleagues, new stakeholders in health and social care service provision, that you renew old friendships and most importantly that you have the opportunity to network and engage with colleagues from different sectors across Ireland and abroad.”
