Sláintecare Implementation Plan: Transfer of Hospitals in Advance of New Health Regions
Sláintecare Implementation Plan
The implementation of New Health Regions involves reorganizing the Health Service Executive (HSE) into six operational regions. These regions will be responsible for planning and coordinating the delivery of health and social care services within their defined geographies. The goal of these new arrangements is to enhance the health service's capacity to provide integrated and timely care to patients and service users, aligning planning and funding with their regional and local needs.
While the complete restructuring will be a multi-year process, the Health Region approach will be established starting in February 2024 and will continue to evolve throughout the year.
The six health regions will replace the existing hospital groups (HGs) and community healthcare organisations (CHOs). For instance, the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) will become part of the HSE Dublin and South East health region, which covers Tipperary South, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow, and parts of South Dublin.
Work is underway to establish the six health regions by 1 March 2024.
As of 2 January 2024, the first step in the geographical realignment took effect when the delegated authority for the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH), Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan (OLHN), and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC) transferred from IEHG to the RCSI Hospital Group. This group will encompass all hospitals within the future boundary of the health region HSE Dublin and North East.
On 22 January 2024, delegated authority for the Regional Hospital Mullingar (RHM) transferred to the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG), which will become the health region HSE Dublin and Midlands.
From 12 February 2024, University Hospital Waterford, Tipperary University Hospital, and Kilcreene Regional Orthopaedic Hospital will transition from the South South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) to IEHG.
Implications for UCD
With the dissolution of the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG), UCD's main teaching hospitals will be distributed among three HSE Health Regions:
- HSE Dublin and North East
- HSE Dublin and Midlands
- HSE Dublin and South East