Media training for health executives

HEALTH board chief executives have undergone formal media training to stave off criticisms of their staff contained in two soon-to-be-published health reports.

Yesterday the director of communications for the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), Maureen Browne, denied it was a rearguard action, in the face of plans by Health Minister Micheál

Martin to axe the 11 health boards: “I advised the chief executive of the ERHA, Michael Lyons, that it would be a good idea to gear up for the publication of the reports.

"My proposal was to look for good news stories. We are always reading about the bad new stories and I thought it would be a good opportunity to draw attention to the good things in the health service and the amazing work the staff do.”

Ms Browne said she advised Mr Lyons to undergo media training to defend likely criticism of the health boards when the reports are published, and he, as chairman of the National CEO Group of health board chiefs, extended an invitation to the other CEOs to do likewise.

“If what we have read about the two reports [Brennan and Prospectus] is true, then it is going to be a very difficult time for a lot of the staff, they’ve taken quite a hammering and some of the criticisms are very ill-informed.”

Ms Browne said the media training, by Promedia, and her advice to release good news stories, was “the type of thing we do all the time”, and that she herself had provided some of the training.

RTE Six-One news anchor Bryan Dobson and former Primetime reporter Brendan O’Brien were also involved in the training.

A spokeswoman for the Southern Health Board (SHB) said they had received an invitation to attend the media training sessions, but had declined.

Ms Browne said the CEO group was not opposed to re-structuring of the health boards.

The purpose of releasing stories of patients who had benefited from the health services was to let the public know the restructuring was in no way linked to poor performances by health board staff, she said.

The Brennan and Prospectus reports, due for publication on June 17, examine value for money and current structuring within the health services.

A third report, the Hanly report, which looks at health service staffing levels, is unlikely to be published this month.