Health Service Executive
 | |
| Company type | Public Sector |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Dublin |
Key people | Frank Dolphin (Chairperson[1]) Brendan Drumm (CEO[2]) |
| Revenue | €15 billion Euro (2010)[3] |
Number of employees | 100,000 (2010)[3] |
| Website | hse.ie |
The Health Service Executive (HSE) (Irish: Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte, FSS) is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005. It replaces the ten regional Health Boards, the Eastern Regional Health Authority and a number of other different agencies and organisations. The Minister for Health and Children has overall responsibility for the Executive in Government. The HSE is Ireland's largest employer with over 100,000 workers; and has an annual budget of €16 billion, more than any other public sector organisation.
Structure
The HSE's organisational structure is divided into three main areas:
- Health and Personal Social Services, which in turn is divided into three service delivery units:
- The National Hospitals Office (NHO),[4] which manages acute hospital and the HSE National Ambulance Service.
- Primary, Community and Continuing Care (PCCC),[5] which delivers health and personal social services in the community and other settings.
- Population Health,[6] which promotes and protects the health of the entire population.
- Support Services, which enables the HSE to function efficiently and cost effectively.
- Reform and Innovation, which drives the HSE's strategic and corporate planning processes.
University hospitals
- Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
- Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin
- Cork University Hospital, Cork
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin
- Mercy University Hospital, Cork
- St. Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin
- St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin
- University College Hospital Galway, Galway
HSE Regions
The HSE delivers its services through fifty-one Public Hospitals and thirty- two Local Health Offices nationwide. The HSE is divided into four administrative areas:
- HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster - (South Dublin, County Kildare, County Wicklow, County Longford, County Westmeath, County Laois and County Offaly)
- HSE Dublin North East - (North Dublin, County Meath, County Louth, County Cavan and County Monaghan)
- HSE South - (County Cork, County Kerry, South Tipperary, County Wexford, County Waterford, County Carlow and County Kilkenny)
- HSE West - (County Galway, County Mayo, County Roscommon, County Limerick, County Clare, North Tipperary, Donegal, Sligo, and County Leitrim)
Board of directors
- Frank Dolphin, Chairman
- Dónal de Buitléir - general manager, AIB Bank
- P Anne Scott - Professor and Head of School of Nursing, Dublin City University
- Michael McLoone - County Manager Donegal County Council
- Niamh Brennan - Professor of Management University College Dublin
- Michael Murphy - Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health University College Cork
- P J Fitzpatrick - Chief Executive, Courts Service
- John Murray - Professor of Business Studies Trinity College, Dublin
- Maureen Gaffney - Chairperson, National Economic and Social Forum
- Eugene McCague - Solicitor
- Joe Macri - Chief Executive, Microsoft Ireland
The Chief Executive Officer is Professor Brendan Drumm. Cathal Magee was appointed to replace Prof Drumm in June 2010.
Criticism
The HSE is frequently portrayed by the Irish media as an inefficient, top-heavy, bloated and excessively bureaucratic organisation defined by cronyism, budget overruns and an excessively "manager-oriented" culture where middle management and consultants' demands are prioritised over adequate service provision.[7][8] Additionally, the organisation has been involved in a number of serious health scandals, relating to cancer misdiagnoses.[9][10] The HSE has also been the subject of criticism for cutbacks, service cancellations and overall stinginess.
The organisation was the subject of an Irish high court ruling in September 2008 stating it was in breach of contract over a reduction in payments made to pharmacists for dispensing drugs under various State schemes. If repayments are mandated, the HSE faces a bill of over €50 million.[11]
In late September 2008, the HSE was also criticised for not anticipating costs and deteriorating economic circumstances, which it claims as the cause of the cancellation of a Flu vaccination scheme for people aged over 50, with the Irish Medical organisation accusing the HSE of "incompetence and acting irresponsibly".[12]
In March 2010, it emerged that 58,000 X-Ray radiographs had not been reviewed by a consultant radiologist.[13]
In the same month, the Irish Medical Organisation stated that patients awaiting a HSE medical card were waiting up to six months to receive their card, and that their health was being put at risk as they could not afford medicines that they would have otherwise obtained had they received their card.[14]
See also
Maev-Ann Wren, health services analyst and critic
References
- ^ Chairperson page on HSE Web site
- ^ News page from the HSE Web site
- ^ a b HSE Factfile
- ^ http://www.hse.ie/eng/HSE_FactFile/HSE_Approach/National_Hospitals_Office/
- ^ http://www.hse.ie/eng/HSE_FactFile/HSE_Approach/Primary,_Community_and_Continuing_Care/
- ^ http://www.hse.ie/eng/HSE_FactFile/HSE_Approach/Population_Health/
- ^ http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/11/25/story28496.asp
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0922/auditor.html
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0922/breaking55.htm
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0401/cancer.html
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0912/1221138436703.html
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0926/flu.html
- ^ http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/hse-confirms-investigation-into-tallaght-x-ray-scandal-449471.html
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0322/health.html