Treatment provision - HSE targets eclipsed by EU decision

In a reaction to the public outcry elicited by television exposure, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has set itself a deadline of next November to eliminate the need for trolleys and chairs in accident and emergency units through the country.

It also intends to outsource some GP tests to the private sector in an attempt to cut the number of people waiting for diagnostics in hospitals, where they can experience undue delays.

The chairwoman of the HSE’s Accident and Emergency Task Force, Angela Fitzgerald, who announced the moves, said in almost the same breath that staff are working out of hours but that a debate was needed about traditionally negotiated agreements.