Interim Health Service Executive : update on transition arrangements

Press release issued by the interim HSE
9th December 2004

The prevention of risk and continuity of service to patients and clients has always been the primary concern of everyone involved in the reform of the health service, and the structural and organisational changes being introduced as a first element in Ireland’s move to a single, unified health service.

The transition arrangements for the first six months of the new system, from 1 January 2005 are now in place and were approved by the Board of the Interim Health Service Executive today.

The full national management team has been appointed, both permanent and acting arrangements to cover all areas required. Many of the acting posts and the Chief Executive role will be filled permanently in the first six months of 2005.

The current Chief Executives of the health boards will continue to handle regional and local management, and maintain existing reporting relationships which will devolve over the six months, in an incremental way, to the HSE. The Chief Executives will report to Kevin Kelly as Interim Chief Executive of the HSE. This is in effect a parallel management transition and implementation process, designed to protect against any gaps in service delivery. The Chief Executives will have delegated authority from the Interim Chief Executive of the HSE.

The Chief Executives agreed to this proposal earlier this week, and will meet the HSE management team to ensure total clarity of roles and lines of responsibility next week. Accountability for the health service rests with the Chief Executive of the HSE from 1 January 2005.

“The issues surrounding risk and continuity of service have been foremost on our agenda,” said Kevin Kelly, Executive Chairman of the Interim HSE. “We have engaged staff at all levels of the service, clinical and administrative, in developing the new design. Existing contractual arrangements and relationships transfer to the HSE from a legal perspective.

“We have always said that there will be no ‘big bang’ on 1 January 2005. The transition arrangements in place will safeguard patients from any risk and clarify the position to staff. They copperfasten the protection of service delivery during the transition phase. Patients and clients are, and will remain, the priority,” he concluded.