Shakeup expected as HSE board to meet

Health Minister James Reilly is to meet the board of the Health Service Executive today amid speculation of a shake-up.

Dr Reilly said he wanted to make changes after he met the 12-strong board last month.

The minister has already accepted the resignation of solicitor Eugene McCague after he offered to step down as a member.

Dr Reilly has long campaigned for the HSE to be abolished, claiming it does not work and has failed to meet targets of reducing hospital waiting lists.

In its election manifesto Fine Gael pledged to cut 8,000 jobs in the HSE by 2014 through a combination of voluntary redundancies and not replacing those who leave.

In the Programme for Government, agreed with coalition partners Labour, the HSE is to be scrapped.

Its powers will be either transferred to the Department of Health or taken over by a new universal health insurance system based on the Dutch model, with free GP care for everyone.