New IT to improve efficiency at public hospitals?

THE provision of new information technology at one of Galway’s main public hospitals will dramatically improve efficiency and patient outcomes, according to Health Minister Dr James Reilly.
University College Hospital, Galway has been the subject of severe criticism from public representatives at HSE Forum West meetings in recent months due to chronic overcrowding and high numbers of patients waiting on trolleys.
If Minister Reilly’s plans come to fruition, it seems public patients will spend less time waiting to be admitted to the emergency department and should also get quicker access to a host of surgical and medical treatments.
In addition to the introduction of a new Special Delivery Unit (SDU), Minister Reilly has unveiled plans for a new information technology system, which will enable managers to track the exact journey and length of time a patient spends going through different departments in UCHG.
The minister hopes to rollout this new system, where managers will be able to track every consultant’s waiting list in every hospital, on a daily and weekly basis.
He admitted that, for years, the HSE were “driving around in the dark” when it came to analysing patient movements but now this could be achieved on a daily and weekly basis and not after several months “when the horse was bolted”.
“If Mr Murphy’s waiting list is two months and Mr Brown’s waiting list is two weeks, we will bring someone down to have a chat with Mr Murphy to establish what the problem is in his department.
“We will not use this approach to beat Mr Murphy over the head, we want to help and support him to address the problems.
“I was told that this IT system would cost €10 million and would take 18 months to deliver. Now we can do it in 98 days for €250,000. This was done by working with some excellent people within the HSE and the National Purchase Treatment Fund (NPTF),” he said.
The minister told a local radio station that the SDU has already been very successful in a short space of time and is there to provide support for management, doctors and nurses.
Despite an intensive recruitment drive, the minister confirmed the HSE failed to recruit a new chief executive officer for UCHG but did get two very good people as chief operations officer and chief financial officer.
In a bid to fill the vacant CEO position in Galway and three positions at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick, the minister put the provision of new external expertise for the management of these two hospitals out to tender recently.
One Irish company and four firms in the United Kingdom are bidding for the tender, which lasts 18 months. The successful company will be given the task of putting a new management structure in place for these two hospitals and upskilling existing management in all public hospitals throughout the HSE West.
In spite of concerns from some public representatives about “privatisation by the back door”, the minister insists this is a “good-news story” for UCHG.
“This hospital has been struggling. We are bringing in new clinical programmes and a new way of doing business. We are bringing in new managerial expertise to help grow the management at the hospital and people underneath.
“We have always known we had a problem with management in the HSE. We want to help people to do their job better in the same way we want consultants and nurses to change the way they work to do their job better to achieve a better outcomes for patients.
“The Department of Health want patients treated more quickly with a better outcome. I am not too concerned about the logistics or how I achieve this. I want patients to have a good experience in hospitals and staff to be proud to work in the hospital with everyone working together to achieve this goal,” he said.
Asked about the reporting structure for the new management company, the minister explained the new contracts would be run by the HSE and would report to the HSE. However, he reserved the right for anyone to report to him directly, if he felt this is necessary.