€1m reorganising bill proves HSE ‘does not work’

HEALTH service bosses have splashed out nearly €1 million for reorganisation advice despite the recently created service bracing itself for swingeing budget cuts, it has emerged.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny yesterday reacted angrily to the news and suggested the fact consultants are being paid to untangle a service which was centralised just four years ago proved “the HSE, as constructed by this Government, does not work”.

Mr Kenny also pointed out the move comes on the back of €1.4m worth of bonuses being awarded to HSE chiefs for 2009 — a 20% increase on performance related pay for this year.

“For all the high paid people at the HSE, who are set for a bonus windfall of €1.4m, they are still paying another €1m to outside experts to tell them what everybody else knows — that the HSE as constructed by this Government does not work.

“There are 300 people on trolleys every day, there have been serious cases of misdiagnosis and deaths from cancer, particularly among women, some 1,200 acute beds are unused.

“There is still no fair deal for those under economic pressure because of the cost of nursing homes — that is a performance that does not warrant a 20% increase in bonuses over 2008.”

Mr Kenny went on to suggest that in setting up the HSE the Government had centralised everything and massively over-manned the organisation instead of gaining efficiencies. “In the process they created an unaccountable bureaucracy with systematic failings in communication, governance and management.

“It has cost almost €1m to deconstruct something described as a once in a generation move to provide world-class health services.”

The payment of nearly €1m to McKinsey consultants was revealed in a parliamentary reply to Fine Gael after being mentioned in a Health Service Executive board meeting in April.

Reacting to criticism regarding bonus payments to health service chiefs, Taoiseach Brian Cowen insisted contractual arrangements could not be interfered with “willy-nilly”.

He said the bonuses were awarded by a review body on remuneration in the public sector that set out wage scales related to performance and targets to compete with the private sector.

Awards should be related to achieving challenging targets, and the HSE board would take into account the new economic situation, the Taoiseach told TDs.

“Despite all that has been said by the Opposition, there have been measurable improvements across the health service.

“Many people using the health service are far more satisfied with it now than they were in the past.

“Continuing problems exist but rather than defending the present method of delivery in the system perhaps the Opposition should support the reforms needed and proposed in many instances by the HSE in an effort to improve the delivery of services.”