IEHG Statement on Establishment of Regional Health Areas

As you are aware, an announcement was made on 17 July by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, that the health service is to be restructured into six regional health areas as part of the implementation of Sláintecare. The proposals brought forward before Cabinet mean that the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) will no longer exist in its current form and will be split across three regional boundaries.

These regional bodies will in the future be responsible for the planning and delivery of integrated health and social care services across the country. The establishment of the new Regional Health Areas will take time, and stakeholders including our own hospital group will be invited to contribute to the design of the services in their regions. It is important to note that the details of the new operational design will be brought back to the Government for approval in a year, meaning that the Ireland East Hospital Group will continue to operate as usual, working with our Community Healthcare Organisation partners to deliver high quality healthcare to all our patients.

The Ireland East Hospital Group would like to take this opportunity to say that we are immensely proud of all that we have achieved together in the four short years since our Group was established, none of which would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of you, the staff. You have worked tirelessly to provide the very best care for all who attend our hospitals and to ensure that the patient remains at the centre of everything we do.

We have full confidence that the phenomenal work that you have undertaken to improve patient care for all who attend our services will continue under the new structures of our health service.