Review of acute hospital services in the Mid - Health Service Executive

Review of acute hospital services in HSE Mid-West
An action plan for acute and community services
Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference and Steering
Group
The review has the following objectives:
1) To evaluate the benefits and risks associated with current provision of acute hospital services on six
sites serving a population of approximately 360,000 and to be cognisant of the relationship/role of the
Network within the wider Western area.
2) To review the current capacity, usage and deployment of staff, beds, theatres, day case, outpatient,
accident and emergency facilities, diagnostic and other facilities in the hospitals in the region
and compare them to international norms. To analyse the implications of Medical, Surgical,
Anaesthetic and ancillary services providing services on multiple sites in relation to the provision of a
safe, sustainable, high quality service.
3) To advise on the optimal governance arrangements which should operate within and between each
hospital site in the Mid-West, reflecting the ethos / ownership of the various entities, as well as best
practice in relation to hospitals operating in networks. Proposed governance arrangements should
include reference to appropriate links to the University of Limerick and other academic/third level
institutions. The hospitals are as follows:
• The Mid-Western Regional Hospital Dooradoyle;
• The Mid-Western Regional Obstetric Hospital;
• The Mid-Western Regional Orthopaedic Hospital;
• The Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis;
• The Mid-Western Regional Hospital Nenagh; and
• St. John’s Hospital, Limerick.
4) To produce a robust evidence based report as outlined in the above deliverables including a high
level costed action plan with financial recommendations, setting out the key steps to progress
implementation of the recommendations, including assessment criteria to facilitate decision making,
where required.
5) To take account of current and projected geographic, demographic, social and epidemiological
trends affecting the Mid-West and the likely future health care needs of that population as set out in
more detail hereunder with reference to:
• The implications of the move towards regional self-sufficiency in service provision within the four
HSE Administrative Areas with the exception of specific tertiary or national specialist services;
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