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THE HSE PUBLISHED its national service plan for 2019, with a budget of €16 billion allocated by the government.
At the launch of the plan yesterday, its deputy director general of strategy Dean Sullivan sounded a warning that despite the 5.6% increase in its budget for next year, the HSE remains under pressure in a number of areas.
He said: “While we will endeavour to ensure we provide value for the monies we spend, we are very cognisant that meeting both current and future challenges is not sustainable.
We continue to experience high hospital occupancy levels, pressure regarding waiting lists and increasing demands on other social care and demand led schemes.
The growing and ageing population, along with increased life expectancy, continue to place increasing pressure on services, the HSE said.
The extra €848 million given to the HSE this year follows an overspend of €700 million this year.
The HSE said its key priorities for next year are to maintain activity at 2018 levels, focus on cost reductions, minimise risk and promote patient safety.
Additional funding announced for next year includes €9 million to the CervicalCheck and HPV vaccination schemes, €12 million for termination of pregnancy services and €70.3 million for changes to the primary care scheme.
It also said that funding for mental health services is set to increase by €55 million.
Recruitment is set to be scaled back next year, with funding to hire an additional 2,000 staff members in 2019 compared to 4,000 this year.
A full copy of the 156-page plan can be found here.
“While we will endeavour to ensure we provide value for the monies we spend, we are very cognisant that meeting both current and future challenges is not sustainable.”
Every year they go over budget. In a properly managed company in a real country, if they went over budget once, they would actively implement cost saving measures. In our excuse of a country, they just keep increasing the budget year after year and the service just gets worse.
@David Corrigan: what cost saving measures do you suggest? I agree it needs to be done but that means change to working conditions, pay etc. It means taking on unions.
@David Corrigan: The service gets worse? any comparatives to support that? on any international indicators we fare well in comparison to many countries. Do you think other countries get health 100% right. Only yesterday HSE was slated in a well choreographed stunt about collecting debt form cancer sufferers as if debt collector letters are sent to people who enagage. If govt dont want statutory charges on cancer sufferers then legislate to exempt them.
@Jane: Remove all non-performing managers based on performance metrics. It is really basic stuff. Put them on the dole as it would be cheaper on the state to keep them.
@Seamus G: Waiting lists running into years. People lying around hospital corridors. Cervical cancer scandal. Doctors without qualifications. No mental health care support. Budget overruns year on year. Doctors and nurses overworked. Need I go on?
@Seamus G: Hows about the increase in patient on trolleys year after year after year, as a sign things have been gradually getting worse?
@David Corrigan: people are living longer. Poor investment in infrastructure (buildings equipment software). Politicians angling for favours for their parishes. Expensive drug treatments… the latest being the new cervical cancer treatment. Therefore lots of demands. I feel sorry for them. Impossible task. Maybe we should go the Us model. 10k for personal health insurance. Deliver it all privately
@David Corrigan: they are not comparisons, as asked for, they are opinions. Do you have facts and figures to back up your statements? Otherwise you’re just ranting populist opinion
@Jane: Taking on the unions? Spoken like a true blueshirt… perhaps an organisation top heavy with management could be the problem. Of course people of a certain outlook will hold the workers responsible for the inept management. Once in the hospital system it is probably the best health service in the world. As recent unfortunate events have show the cover up by top management and government prove my point.
@Donal Desmond: so you think all those management arent in unions? Civil service and public service unions represent that top heavy management and will fight tooth and nail against cuts.
@Vocal Outrage: correct and I am still waiting.
@David Corrigan: A Deputy Director of general strategy.So we have a King director of general strategy too.Too many chiefs etc..says it all about the HSE today.
@Vocal Outrage: They are FACTS. Understand that and deal with it.
I wonder if a “deputy director general of strategy” is on a nice 6 figure salary along with the director general of strategy?
Not to mention all the managers in that department also on high salaries and there’s your budget overruns!
@Dotty Dunleary: really?? So we spent €848 million in their salaries this year?? When we’re finished knocking what we have maybe we should look across the water and see the trouble they’re in with the NHS.
@Dotty Dunleary: offtheball, I think Dotty is right here. Why do we need a deputy director of strategy? Unless thats a sub role of another job. I suspect there are a lot of superfluous positions that are there only to shape the sacrosanct establishment structure. You can’t just sack people because the poor architecture, but, I think there needs to be a lot of redeployments and paring down of the establishment over time. The NHS is a monster organization, but we have a much smaller population to serve.
@Greg Blake: Exactly! The NHS deal with as many patients in a day and a half as there are people in Dublin.
If only we could hit the reset button on this organisation…..
@Stephen: one things for sure. YOU CAN’T BLAME HARNEY FOR THIS. oh wait
@Stephen: we have, the problem is the old north/south/east/west health board system is alive and kicking inside the HSE. If you speak with doctors they will tell you the ultimate problem is the politicization of every big issue, fundamental decisions are been made by people who do not work in the health sector, very basic things to get right from the outset, such as the location and size of a hospital. The first principals are rotten to the core, so surprise, surprise we have a third world health service, and like the third world the consensus is to keep throwing money at it and watch everything get worse.
@BarronVonVaderHam: great comment
I hope the additional 2,000 staff are mostly nurses / medical staff and not useless admin or “managers”
This whole organisation needs to be rebuilt, far too inefficient for today’s critical health needs
@SkylineSi: i agree wth you to an extent. I hope there are many more nurses employed too and paid properly. I have a bit of a problem with the ‘useless admin staff’ statement. I worked in admin in the HSE for nearly 25 yrs where along with a colleague we supplied clerical support to 5 depts, working for 43 healthcare professionals. There was anything but useless about it believe me. Granted as you go up the ladder there are managers falling over managers but on the ground where the work needs to be done there are nowhere near enough people.
@Declan Moran: potentially the word “useless” was a bit strong. maybe “inefficient” would be a better choice but not tarring all admin staff the same of course.
I see / hear a lot of inefficiencies in the HSE and it frustrates me! The gov can keep throwing money at the HSE, but until it is run in an efficient manner, we will still have a poor health system
No one ever highlights the actual over spend areas and have at least put a plan in place to improve on the areas, there has to be also areas of savings without having impact on service, I just don’t get it,
@Mick Hannigan: Exactly Mick. Where is the breakdown? Any of my dealings with the health service in Ireland have been very poor. And that’s going private. 2nd rate consultants all over the place here. Blackrock clinic for example is still living on the 80′s when it comes to audiology/ENT
Should get rid of a few of the made up jobs they have for “managers” and people who they’re too afraid to sack… worst run organisation in the country..
Simple Simons face in that picture is gas
@IamMe: he looks lost
24 hour waiting times for the elderly, shameful.
Hey hey hey dont worry about it people.
Leo and simon have given s minimum if €12m for abortion.
Everythings cool
Now that the once staunchly prolife but now almost enthusiastically, to the point of delirium, pro choice health minister has abortion sorted, maybe just maybe he’ll be held accountable for the cervical cancer scandal and the many ongoing HSE crises. Or does he keep getting a pass from the left.
@paul jones: its almost like he wants to retrain as a doctor so he can stick the knife/needle in himself. I
Privatisation is the only way forward. Use the money saved for housing, education and infrastructure
@Bluey: unfortunately that is correct, all we hear from the top brass about the HSE is “our problems are insurmountable”
HSE do a fantastic job, which is improving year on year, every health system across the world has capacity problems and our system is no different. Give the HSE a break
It’s time to make a serious commitment to investment in illness-prevention strategies. Such strategies will help reduce the (in many cases, unnecessary) flow of people into healthcare system. This will reduce waiting lists and help more people feel better today and in the longer term. Improved lifestye promotion and preventing overweight/obesity are key components of such an illness-prevention strategy….please dept. of health…put serious (and essential) investment in this space…it is clear that continued reactive investment is not sustainable…..bite the illness-prevention bullet
Am I the only person who thinks that picture was taken at the moment Catherine grabs Simon’s rear end.
The head on Harris. He thinks that going around with his shirt sleeves rolled up means he’s working hard.
You can throw €16 Billion at a turd, but it’s still a turd.
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