Your lunchtime bulletin.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has claimed the return of the HSE board will ensure a new era of health service accountability — despite opposition warnings that no service “on the planet” could cope with the constant changes to the system.

The HSE may be forced to appoint a patient advocate to its returned HSE board as part of strict new accountability and transparency measures set to be passed by the Government.

Members of the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee have expressed concern that the Department of Health is devising a draft plan to implement Sláintecare without any input from the yet-to-be-appointed head of the Sláintecare implementation office.

The Taoiseach has confirmed that the Government has abandoned plans to scrap the HSE board and is now drafting legislation to re-establish it.

The Health Minister has said that new legislation to abolish the structure of the HSE board will become law in the coming months.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has announced a series of changes to the Board of the HSE.

THE HSE, described as a vital new structure for the health service just seven years ago, is to be replaced with seven speciality-specific directorates.

THE Department of Health has abandoned plans to bring in private management to resurrect the fortunes of the main hospitals in the West and will instead rely on the abilities of two existing senior health employees.

THE report on Monday that HSE Forum South members from Fine Gael are threatening to quit the “talking shop” comes as no surprise. I have attended two meetings of the chairpersons of the four national forums.

Minister for Health James Reilly has said any waste of money and inefficient use of resources within the health service has to stop.

FROM a political standpoint it may be a poisoned chalice, but it is vital that control of Ireland’s benighted health service be restored to Government control under the firm hand of a minister with unequivocal responsibility for how patients are served and how the huge budget of the HSE is spent.

THE HSE has launched an internal review of the trolley crisis after hospitals across the country failed to manage the recent surge in emergency department patient numbers.

THE HSE has appointed a rank outsider to replace Prof Brendan Drumm as head of the health service — and has given him a salary almost €100,000 higher than planned.

TAXPAYERS have a right to know when the chiefexecutive of the HealthService Executive (HSE) draws down his controversial €70,000 bonus, the opposition said yesterday after the HSE insisted it would not disclose if and when the payment is claimed.

CLARE councillor Brian Meaney is quite right to bring to our attention (Irish Examiner, October 15) what he regards as the waste of public monies on the provision of Irish language documentation.

HSE PLANS to replace an outdated child intensive care unit described in a report as “a potential risk to patient safety” could be scrapped due to budget cutbacks.

HUNDREDS of elderly people will be left with “no choice” but to be sent to residential institutions if the Government continues to slash the home help service, a leading advocacy group has warned.

THE HSE says there are no immediate plans to publish a report calling for 100 additional intensive care unit beds.

HEALTH service bosses have splashed out nearly €1 million for reorganisation advice despite the recently created service bracing itself for swingeing budget cuts, it has emerged.

HEALTH chiefs are “throwing away €300,000” a day by leaving almost 1,200 public hospital beds empty or unavailable across the country, it has been claimed.

Two medical organisations have withdrawn from talks due to take place today with health service bosses to negotiate a new contract for hospital consultants.

POLITICAL pressure is mounting for a decision to give the go-ahead to a long-awaited, 72-bed community hospital in Dingle.

The Health Service Executive is to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the faulty health service payroll system which has already cost the taxpayer more than €100m.