Taoiseach stresses role of health sector forum

THE Taoiseach yesterday said the best way to face the health service’s “complex challenges” was through the Health Sector Forum — but health professionals said he must primarily accept the failures of the HSE.

Brian Cowen told the IMPACT biennial conference in Kilkenny that he believed the forum could help facilitate a constructive dialogue between health management and staff which would make progress on the most important and complex challenges facing the industry.

“The forum should be developed to provide a new and inclusive process towards the design and realisation on the ground of the health service that our citizens want and deserve,” said Mr Cowen.