HSE chief faces Public Accounts Committee

HSE chief executive Cathal Magee will be questioned by the new Public Accounts Committee today.

The committee's first public meeting is expected to focus on a review of A&E departments, as well as a report conducted by the comptroller and auditor general in 2009.

Public Accounts Committee chairman John McGuinness said that he is particularly concerned about the report's finding that many emergency departments experienced delays in accessing senior decision makers.

"We’ll be requesting the HSE to review all the conclusions that have been reached by the Comptroller and Auditor General," he said.

"Some of them are very specific. For example 23 out of 33 emergency units examined had less than satisfactory access to senior decision-makers and that is something that impacts in terms of cost and in terms of the patient care."