Minister Martin launches Task Force on Medical Staffing

21 February 2002

Minister for Health and Children, Mr Micheál Martin TD, today (21 February 2002) formally launched the National Task Force on Medical Staffing which will prepare and cost an implementation plan for a new approach to hospital services, based on appropriately trained doctors providing patients with the highest quality service.

The Task Force will prepare detailed implementation programmes based on two key reports published last year, the "Hanly Report" on the phased reduction of the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) and the Report of the Medical Manpower Forum. The implementation programmes will be addressed in the context of the new health strategy: Quality and Fairness - A Health System for You.

The Task Force will be chaired by Mr David Hanly, who has extensive experience in the health area. He chaired the previous group on reducing NCHD working hours and has also chaired Comhairle na nOspidéal.

The Minister said that the key work of the Task Force will be to:

The Minister wished the Task Force every success in its very important work and thanked its members for agreeing to contribute their expertise and experience to this initiative.

The inaugural meeting of the Task Force takes place today. Details of its membership and terms of reference are below.

Membership - National Task Force on Medical Staffing

Steering Group

Mr David Hanly, Independent Chairperson
Mr Frank Ahern, Director of Human Resources, Department of Health & Children
Mr Paul Barron, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Children
Dr Richard Brennan, Chairperson, Irish College of General Practitioners
Dr Jane Buttimer, Medical Director, National Task Force/Education & Training
Mr Jim Breslin, Senior Commissioner, Eastern Regional Health Authority
Mr Rory Costello, Health Services Employers Agency
Ms Geraldine Feeney (representing the public interest) - Chair Medical Council Ethics Committee
Dr Kate Ganter, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Lucena Clinic, Dublin
Dr Asam Ishtiaq, Registrar (Surgery), Waterford Regional Hospital
Mr Nicky Jermyn, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent´s University Hospital
Dr Verena Keane, Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disability, St Vincent´s Centre Navan Rd & St Michael´s House
Dr Peter Kelly, Consultant Histopathologist, Mater Hospital
Dr Jim Kiely, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Children
Professor Gerry Loftus, Consultant Paediatrician, University College Hospital Galway / Chair Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board
Mr Jim McCaffrey, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance
Ms Mary McCarthy, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health and Children
Dr Mick Molloy, Registrar (Emergency Medicine), St Vincent´s University Hospital
Mr Pawan Rajpal, Consultant General Surgeon (with a special interest in Gastro-intestinal Surgery) Cavan/Monaghan General Hospital
Dr Sheelah Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Western Health Board
Professor Arthur Tanner, Consultant General Surgeon, Tallaght Hospital, Dean Postgraduate Studies, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Ms Vivienne Tegg, Director of Human Resources, South Eastern Health Board
Dr Cillian Twomey, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital / Chair, Comhairle na nOspidéal
Dr Dermot Walsh, Inspector of Mental Hospitals, Department of Health and Children
Ms Frances Walsh, Physiotherapist Manager, Cork University Hospital

The Task Force Secretariat will be provided by the Department of Health and Children. The Project Director, Mr Fergal Lynch, will participate at all Task Force meetings.

Project Group - NCHD Working Hours

Chairperson - Mr David Hanly
Mr Paul Barron, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Children
Dr Jane Buttimer, Medical Director, National Task Force/Education & Training
Mr Rory Costello, Health Services Employers Agency
Mr Denis Doherty, Chief Executive, Health Boards Executive; Director, Office for Health Management
Ms Sheila Early, Medical Manpower Manager, Beaumont Hospital
Dr Mary Hynes, Regional Manager, Acute Services, Western Health Board
Dr Timothy Lynch, Consultant Neurologist, Mater Hospital
Mr Tommie Martin, Chief Officer, Comhairle na nOspidéal
Dr T J McKenna, Consultant Physician in Endocrinology & Diabetes Mellitus, St Vincent´s University Hospital
Dr Peter McKenna, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Rotunda Hospital
Dr Mick Molloy, Registrar (Emergency Medicine), St Vincent´s University Hospital
Dr Sean Murphy, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Longford/Westmeath General Hospital
Mr Colman O´Leary, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Limerick Regional Hospital
Ms Yvonne O´Shea, Chief Executive Officer, National Council for Nursing and Midwifery
Dr Dela Osthoff, Registrar (Child Psychiatry), St Anne´s Children´s Centre, Galway
Mr Pat Ring, Principal Officer, Department of Finance
Dr Eamonn Tierney, Consultant Anaesthetist, Wexford General Hospital
Mr Sean Tierney, Consultant General Surgeon (with a special interest in Vascular Surgery), Tallaght Hospital
Ms Frances Walsh, Physiotherapist Manager, Cork University Hospital

The Task Force Secretariat will be provided by the Department of Health and Children. The Project Director, Mr Fergal Lynch, will participate at all Task Force meetings.

Project Group - Medical Education & Training

Chairperson - Dr Jane Buttimer, Medical Director, National Task Force/Education & Training
Mr Frank Ahern, Director of Human Resources, Department of Health and Children
Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive Officer, Health Research Board
Dr Richard Brennan, Chairperson, Irish College of General Practitioners
Professor Gerard Bury, President, Medical Council / Head of Department of General Practice, University College Dublin
Professor Anthony Clare, Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist, St Patrick´s Hospital
Dr Deborah Condell, Consultant Histopathologist, Cavan/Monaghan General Hospital
Dr Trevor Duffy, Specialist Registrar (Rheumatology), St Vincent´s University Hospital
Dr Patricia Fitzsimons, Consultant Radiologist, Sligo General Hospital
Mr John Gloster, Chief Officer, Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board
Mr John Hayden, Chief Executive, Higher Education Authority
Dr Asam Ishtiaq, Registrar (Surgery), Waterford Regional Hospital
Professor Gerry Loftus, Consultant Paediatrician, University College Hospital Galway / Chair Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board
Dr Eilis McGovern, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, St James´s Hospital
Mr Joe Mooney, Principal Officer, Department of Finance
Mr Pawan Rajpal, Consultant General Surgeon (with a special interest in Gastro-intestinal Surgery) Cavan/Monaghan General Hospital
Dr Jenny Porter, Consultant Anaesthetist, Longford/Westmeath General Hospital, Mullingar
Dr Cillian Twomey, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital / Chair Comhairle na nOspidéal

The Task Force Secretariat will be provided by the Department of Health and Children. The Project Director, Mr Fergal Lynch, will participate at all Task Force meetings.

Terms of Reference - National Task Force on Medical Staffing

1. Steering Group

"Co-ordinating the work of the Task Force and devising, costing and promoting implementation of a new model of hospital service delivery based on appropriately trained doctors providing patients with the highest quality service, using available resources as equitably, efficiently and effectively as possible."

1. The Steering Group will have an independent Chairperson appointed by the Minister for Health and Children for a period to be determined by the Minister. The members of the Steering Group will be also be appointed by the Minister for a period to be determined by the Minister. The Steering Group will report to the Minister.

2. The Steering Group will co-ordinate and oversee the work of each of the Task Force´s Project Groups, including the Implementation Group on NCHD Working Hours and the Medical Education and Training Advisory Group. The Steering Group will comment on and revise as necessary draft reports or studies submitted to it by the Project Groups prior to submission to the Minister.

3. The Steering Group will complete a detailed study, within an agreed timeframe, to quantify the resource implications and costs arising from the recommendations contained in the Report of the National Joint Steering Group on the Working Hours of Non Consultant Hospital Doctors and the Report of the Forum on Medical Manpower. To this end, the Steering Group may avail of such consultancy assistance as it deems appropriate, by agreement with the Minister.

The study should have particular regard to the desired benefits to public hospital patients, continuity of care, flexible work patterns, clinical responsibility, training, professional development and the effect on other health care professions and ancillary services arising from the recommendations contained in both Reports.

The study will, inter alia, focus on the specialty workload in the public hospital system with a view to identifying key areas for change.

4. The Steering Group will oversee pilot studies in a representative group of hospitals to assess new models of service delivery and patient care by appropriately trained doctors, with a view to providing the highest quality service, using available resources as equitably, efficiently and effectively as possible. These studies will be conducted in association with the relevant local hospital Working Groups.

5. The Steering Group will prepare national guidelines for health agencies to ensure national conformity and continuity on key areas of workforce planning.

6. The Steering Group will seek to devise innovative approaches to the future provision of hospital services on a best practice basis, with the involvement of each local hospital Working Group, and having regard to the recommendations of the Report of the National Joint Steering Group on the Working Hours of NCHDs and the Report of the Forum on Medical Manpower.

7. The Steering Group will undertake any other tasks that may be agreed from time to time with the Minister for Health and Children. The Steering Group will also review the Task Force´s structures and terms of reference as it deems necessary and make appropriate changes by agreement with the Minister.

2. Implementation Group on NCHD Working Hours

"Ensuring compliance, nationally and locally, with the EU Working Time Directive´s requirements for phased reductions in the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors."

1. The Chairperson and members of the Implementation Group on NCHD Working Hours will be appointed by the Minister for Health and Children for a period to be determined by the Minister. The Group will report to the Steering Group.

2. The Group will prepare a detailed implementation strategy for an agreed programme to reduce NCHD working hours in compliance with the EU Working Time Directive (48-hour working week by 2010, with interim targets of 58 hours by 2004 and 56 hours by 2007). The implementation strategy should take account of the Report of the National Joint Steering Group on the Working Hours of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors and the Report of the Forum on Medical Manpower.

In this regard the Group will:

  • submit its implementation programme to the Steering Group for approval and for submission in turn to the Minister for Health and Children;
  • oversee the establishment and operation of, and provide information, guidance and support to, local Working Groups within each public hospital: these Working Groups will report directly to the NCHD Hours Group and will progress measures agreed by the Task Force for the reduction of NCHD hours at local level;
  • agree a hospital action plan with each local hospital Working Group to ensure, initially, the introduction of a range of immediate measures to reduce NCHD hours: in developing the plan the Working Group should have regard to the implications of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Forum on Medical Manpower;
  • monitor and evaluate progress on measures to reduce NCHD hours at both local and national level;
  • in association with the local hospital Working Groups, develop and implement a communications policy at national and local level to ensure that there is a full understanding of and compliance with the measures to reduce NCHD hours: this policy should address the needs within the hospital, within the professional bodies and representative groups and within the general public.

3. The Group will liaise with and provide appropriate input to the Steering Group and the other Project Group(s) on relevant matters, including the future role of doctors in training and the detailed resource implications and costing study to be carried out by the Steering Group.

4. The Group will undertake any other tasks that may be agreed from time to time between the Steering Group and the Minister. The Group will also review its structures and terms of reference as it deems necessary and propose appropriate amendments to the Steering Group.

3. Medical Education and Training Advisory Group

"Addressing the present and future medical education and training needs of all hospital doctors."

1. The Chairperson and members of the Medical Education and Training Advisory Group will be appointed by the Minister for Health and Children for a period to be determined by the Minister. The Group will report to the Steering Group.

2. The Group, in consultation with all of the key stakeholders, will quantify the education, training and relevant structural requirements arising from the recommendations of the Report of the Joint Steering Group on the Working Hours of Non Consultant Hospital Doctors and the Report of the Medical Manpower Forum, and will formulate an appropriate implementation plan.

3. The Group will liaise with and provide appropriate input to the Steering Group and the other Project Group(s) on relevant matters.

4. The Group will undertake any other tasks that may be agreed from time to time between the Steering Group and the Minister. The Group will also review its structures and terms of reference as it deems necessary and propose appropriate amendments to the Steering Group.