Martin may reduce health boards in bid for efficiency

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin is considering abolishing half the country’s health boards to improve efficiency and reduce the 70% of his department’s budget that now goes on staff salaries.

A report commissioned by the minister is reported to have recommended that health boards be reduced to four outside Dublin with a single health authority to cover the greater Dublin region, along with parts of Kildare and Wicklow.

At the moment, there are seven health boards outside Dublin and three separate health boards in the greater Dublin area that are under the umbrella of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. Critics of the present system say it is too top-heavy with administration and should be streamlined to allow more of the department's €9 billion budget for next year to be spent on direct medical care.