Priorities for healthcare in Ireland

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This seminar will provide a timely opportunity to examine the future priorities for healthcare in Ireland following the recent General Election and formation of the Partnership Government, and will assess current pressures facing the health service - including issues relating to waiting lists and rising costs.

The conference follows the recent publication of the Programme for a Partnership Government, and will bring out latest thinking on the key priorities it outlines for healthcare reform in Ireland in the coming years - including the target to reduce the percentage of people waiting longer than six hours in emergency departments from 32% currently to less than 7% by 2021.

It also comes with the establishment of a Future for Healthcare in Ireland cross-party committee, which has been set-up to look into the long-term future of healthcare in Ireland, and delegates will have an opportunity to discuss its latest work and recommendations.

Delegates will consider the challenges to the implementation of this new Programme for Government, especially in terms of health infrastructure, capacity and tackling waiting lists through the proposed establishment of a Health Commission overtime to replace the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the commitment to give individual Health Trusts greater autonomy and accountability.

Further consideration will be given to the proposals to deliver more effective care outside of hospital - including commitments in primary and community care to build GP capacity to respond to patients’ needs, and increasing funding for homecare packages - and the role that innovation and technology can take in making the health service more efficient.

Those attending will include key policymakers, as well as stakeholders from the public and private healthcare sectors, patient groups, nursing homes and home care providers, charities, local authorities, academics and commentators, and others with an interest in the important issues being discussed.

We are delighted that Tony O'Brien, Director General, Health Service Executive (HSE) has agreed to deliver a keynote address at this seminar.

At this early stage Fergus Clancy, Executive Chairman, Mater Private Healthcare; Dr Gerry Cummins, President, Irish College of General Practitioners; Tadhg Daly, Chief Executive, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI); Dr John Duddy, President, Irish Medical Organisation; Bryan Meldrum, Chairman, Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI); Sheila O'Connor, National Coordinator, Patient Focus; Darragh O'Loughlin, Secretary General, Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU); Michael O’Shea, Centre Director, Applied Research for Connected Health Centre (ARCH) and Dr Stephen Thomas, Director, Centre for Health Policy and Management and Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin have also agreed to speak at the seminar.

Billy Kelleher TD, Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Health, Dáil Éireann has kindly agreed to chair the second half of this seminar.