THE OFFICE of Minister for Health James Reilly has rejected criticism about his decision to appoint more outside consultants to deal with the hospital waiting-list problem.
A spokesman for Dr Reilly said the consultants would provide expertise to the department’s special delivery unit (SDU) which is working to reduce waiting lists.
In January, tenders were sought for consultancy services to improve performance in scheduled care. Two companies have been awarded preferred bidder status. It is not known whether the tender will be awarded to one or two companies. Nor has the expected cost of the consultancy been confirmed.
Dr Reilly’s spokesman said the HSE had a deficit of management. “We’ve lost more than 4,500 people from the HSE in the recent past,” he said, adding that criticising “key strategic appointments” that would provide fresh expertise to allow for upskilling was “very short-sighted”.
He claimed the unit had helped to reduce the number of people on trolleys in “a major way” since it was established last June. “Expertise will be brought in where necessary and on a temporary basis.”
In April it was confirmed that Lis Nixon had been brought in as a consultant. She has more than 10 years experience in change management and service improvement at Britain’s National Health Service and is being paid €164,000 a year.
Meanwhile Dr Martin Connor, a senior adviser to the SDU who spends much of his time in the US, is employed on a three-year contract worth €480,000 until December 2014.
