Kean questions awaiting an RSVP from HSE

MORE used to gracing its covers than writing for it, celebrity lawyer Gerald Kean has chosen social magazine RSVP as the forum for his questions about the state of the health service.

Invited by Health Service Executive (HSE) national director of communications Paul Connors to quiz senior HSE executives about the manner in which the organisation is run, Mr Kean opted instead to publish an open letter in a magazine devoted to detailing the glitz and glamour of Irish life.

Mr Kean said his decision to write an open letter was “to clarify a number of matters in relation to the operation of the executive” in advance of any face-to-face Q&A with HSE officials.

These include:

* Whether the number of administrators outnumber the number of health and social care professionals by approximately 2,300 and what the wage bill for administration staff was for the year up to March 2009.

* A spending breakdown of the HSE’s annual €15 billion budget.

* A detailed summary of the various grades and management structures within the HSE, together with a brief description of the responsibilities and functions of each manager or graded individual within each department.

* What the HSE is doing to reduce high levels of absenteeism.

* Whether substantial redundancies are required, particularly in administration, to create a more efficient health service

* How much money has been was spent in 2008 on independent management consultants’ reports and/or special advisers.

* Whether a HR manager has been appointed, and if so on what salary.

* How much money was spent in 2008 on advertising.

* How much has been spent on administrating the health repayments scheme – refunds for illegal nursing home charges.

* How many special advisers HSE chief Prof Brendan Drumm has and who they are.

* Has there been a HSE staff review and what are its recommendations.

* What steps are being taken to move bed blockers to more appropriate care settings.

* How cost-effective is the National Treatment Purchase Fund

Mr Connors said he had not been notified by Mr Kean that the questions would be appearing today in the magazine.

Only time will tell if he chooses to RSVP to Mr Kean’s probing questions.