Major change as agencies are reformed
The report's conclusions paint a damning picture of an inefficient, unwieldy health service with many duplicated functions and responsibilities.
The report points out that of a total 58 separate statutory agencies and bodies, almost half have been established in the last 10 years, as successive Governments applied piecemeal solutions to a struggling health service.
The Prospectus Report was blunt in its criticism of the system.
"The continuation of blurred accountabilities, unwieldy governance and lack of clarity of roles will lead to a service which is less responsive to customer needs, has greater difficulty in the delivery of national strategies, and finds the challenge of delivering value for money becoming increasingly onerous," the report found.
It said the diverse range of agencies was proving practically impossible for the Department of Health to manage.
"Most critically it has also led to an almost unmanageable mix of agenda-setting institutions with a strong individual focus but often lacking a broad policy context," the report said.
As a result, the Government's Health Service Reform Programme, launched yesterday, has accepted the report's recommendations that just 11 statutory agencies be retained in their current form under the responsibility of the Department of Health.
Among the agencies to remain in their current capacity are the Irish Medicines Board, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the National Children's Office and the institute of Public Health.
Other agencies including the Health Research Board and the Social Services Inspectorate will remain, but their remits and accountability will be updated and extended.
But 27 agencies will disappear in their current form, two will be abolished and nine will have funding and accountability transferred away from the Department of Health.
