Board of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals Group meets in Roscommon Hospital

The Board of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals Group met in Roscommon Hospital yesterday (Monday 25 March); this was the second meeting of the full board since the non-Executive Directors of the Board were appointed in January.
 
The chairman of Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals Group, stated, “In January the Minister for Health approved the appointment of five non-Executive Directors that we submitted to him after consulting widely locally and nationally. In selecting the nominees for the Minister we were cognisant of the need to align skills and competencies that will help us deliver improved performance and accountability for the efficient and safe delivery of acute hospital services so that we can ensure the best outcomes for our patients.
 
“We are honoured that these five highly talented people have agreed to work with us in providing leadership to all of the staff across the Group in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, Roscommon Hospital and Galway University Hospitals (University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital). The remit of the Board is to develop effective corporate and clinical governance structure for the Group along with the quality and safety of systems of care in place for patients of the Group.
 
“This first Board, including my own role as Chair, should be viewed essentially as a development board for the longer-term establishment of the Hospital Group and Trust. The Board of the Group will meet nine times this year and we will also be holding a meeting in Portiuncula Hospital later in the year. In addition, we will be having two public meetings of the Board which will provide real local accountability to the public we serve. The first of these meetings will take place on 18 June in Galway.
 
“The visit today was an opportunity for the Board members to see first hand how Roscommon Hospital is demonstrating the essential role that a smaller hospital plays as part of a Group of hospitals. Each hospital in the Group plays a significant role in the provision of acute services and the Group maximises the potential contribution of each hospital. In terms of the Acute Medicine Programme, GUH is a model 4 hospital, PHB is a model 3 hospital and Roscommon Hospital is a model 2 hospital.”
 
Elaine Prendergast, General Manager, Roscommon Hospital commented, “For the past 18 months we have been focusing on providing ‘local excellence’ since the change of services in line with a model 2 hospital. This means that the treatment and care we provide is most appropriate to the size of the hospital and the local expertise. The hospital is delivering a range of services that can be performed in a smaller hospital in a safe and sustainable manner so that high volume care can be provided locally. These services include: extended day surgery, selected acute medicine, local injuries, a large range of diagnostic services (including endoscopy, laboratory medicine, point of care testing and radiology) and palliative care. I was delighted on behalf of all the staff in the hospital to have an opportunity to showcase the developments at the hospital to the Board today.
 
“At the meeting we were also joined by Tony O’Brien, Director General Designate of the HSE and we were able to demonstrate to him how Roscommon Hospital is leading the way as an example of the role a smaller hospital can play as part of a Group of hospitals.”
 
The five non-Executive Directors of the Board approved by the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly are:

• Dr Jim Browne
• Dr Brendan Day
• Zubair Javeed
• Dr John Killeen
• Phyllis MacNamara

 
In addition to the Chair, Mr Noel Daly who was appointed by the Minister in May 2012, the remainder of the Board members are:

• Bill Maher, CEO of the Group
• Dr Pat Nash, Group Clinical Director
• Colette Cowan, Group Director of Nursing and Midwifery
• Maurice Power, Group Chief Financial Officer
• Fiona McHugh, Group Senior Executive Officer.

 
Photo Details:
The Board of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals Group met at Roscommon Hospital on Monday 25 March. Standing from left: Maurice Power, Group Chief Financial Officer; Elaine Prendergast, General Manager, Roscommon Hospital; Dr John Killeen, non-Executive Director; Dr Jim Browne, non-Executive Director; Margaret Casey, A/Director of Nursing, Roscommon Hospital; Dr Pat Nash, Group Clinical Director; Dr Brendan Day, non-Executive Director; Fiona McHugh, Group Senior Executive Officer; and Zubair Javeed, non-Executive Director. Seated from left: Bill Maher, CEO of the Group; Phyllis MacNamara, non-Executive Director; Noel Daly, Chair of the Board; Tony O’Brien, Director General Designate, HSE; and Colette Cowan, Group Director of Nursing and Midwifery.