Blogging from the Bog

   We are surely blessed with the governments concern for our health and well-being.  So concerned are they that yet another bureaucratic elephant has been created in the Health Act  which came into effect in May 2007.  The new Health Information and Quality Authority, whose functions include "monitoring health care quality", seems to be slightly redundant.  They have free reign to create further red tape and there is no hiring freeze with them!  Don’t we have enough organisations monitoring the pathetic state of our health care system?

   The HIQA is supposed to "set standards" and "monitor healthcare quality", and will be the "new accreditation body" for hospitals, the CEO is Dr. Tracey Cooper (who appears to have been hired for her role a full nine months before the creation of the Department!) and engineer Pat McGrath is the newly appointed Chairperson, and they report to the Minister of Health, who will do SFA.

   Apparently Minister Mary Harney has no confidence in her other reporting agencies such as the Department of Health and Children, which is meant "To improve the health and well being of people in Ireland", the HSE "to improve, promote and protect the health and welfare of the public", the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre "surveillance of communicable disease", the Health Research Board "Improve people’s health through research and information", or the Institute of Public Health "providing health information and surveillance".  All of these groups funded by the Department/us.

   Hell of a lot of surveillance going on! 

   Is it any wonder no one has any confidence in the health care system?  As an example, one of the leading health insurance companies, the VHI, has actually used HSE data to report that Ireland has the lowest rate of HCAI’s (as compared to Northern Ireland), when in fact the Irish Health site, the Irish Times, The Post, BioQuell, and even the HSE’s own subsidiary the HPSC all report that MRSA is "endemic in our hospitals" and "highest" in Europe.   Incredible!

  Dr. Tracey Cooper, CEO HIQA