‘He was keen to solve whatever problem stood in the way’

PAT HARVEY, the former chair of the national steering committee for the PPARS project, has a reputation as a go-ahead and dynamic health executive, though one who has sometimes courted controversy for his direct approach.

Mr Harvey retired as chief executive of the North-Western Health Board (NWHB) in April when the country’s 11 health agencies were morphed into the national Health Services Executive (HSE).

For most health board chief executives, the restructured health services did not offer equivalent positions of seniority. Many, like Mr Harvey, opted for the generous retirement package of two years’ salary.