THE HSE yesterday defended itself against accusations by public representatives that a secret, unelected committee dominated by several prominent businessmen was behind a controversial reconfiguration of acute hospital services in Cork and Kerry.
HSE South management was criticised by members of the HSE South Regional Forum after it emerged that a committee of 17 people had been providing advice to the HSE on the reconfiguration.
Details of the composition of the advisory group was provided by HSE South management in response to questions about the group by Fine Gael Cllr John Buttimer and Socialist Party Cllr Mick Barry. The reconfiguration of acute hospital services in Cork has proven highly controversial.
Yesterday, it emerged that nine of the 17-strong committee are from the business community and include developer Michael O’Flynn, Glen Dimplex chairman Sean O’Driscoll, former Elan vice-president Paul Breen and Pádraig O’Riordan, managing partner of Arthur Cox Solicitors.
The group also includes Kevin Kenny a tax partner of Ernst and Young, racing trainer Aidan O’Brien, and retired secretary general of the Department of Communications Brendan Tuohy.
Cllr Buttimer said the group amounted to “a secret cabal” and Cllr Barry questioned how the group was established and whether it had been appointed by Minister for Health Mary Harney or by the HSE before calling for its immediate disbandment.
Pat Healy, regional director of operations HSE South, said that prior to the appointment of Prof John Higgins as director of reconfiguration in March 2009, “a small group of business and community leaders” had expressed an interest in supporting acute hospitals in Cork.
Prof Higgins asked the National Hospitals Office, which had appointed him, if it was possible, to get access to external expert advice from business, and the regional director of operations Gerry O’Dwyer had put him in contact with the group, said Mr Healy.
Prof Higgins told The Irish Times that he had expanded the group to include retired geriatrician Prof Cillian Twomey, Prof Geraldine McCarthy from the School of Midwifery and Nursing at UCC, UCC president Dr Michael Murphy and other health professionals.
He said the group had no input into the actual decision as to what specialisms were to be located at what hospitals and he had instead sought their expertise in the area of implementing organisational change, achieving excellence, motivation and innovation.
He rejected any suggestion of a conflict of interest said that he approached the group’s offer of assistance as one that was motivated by a genuine desire to help develop the acute hospital system in Cork.