Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly today received Government approval to establish an Interdepartmental Working Group to examine the rising cost of health-related claims and consider mechanisms to reduce costs. The Group will examine the rising cost of clinical negligence claims in the health system, with a particular focus on high value claims, and identify measures that could be put in place to reduce future costs.
The Group’s considerations will include developing a plan to implement risk management and other initiatives to reduce the occurrence of adverse incidents and to recommend measures to address patient concerns following the occurrence of adverse incidents, taking into account measures suggested by Dr Scally in his final implementation review report.
The Group will be chaired independently by an expert healthcare professional, Dr Rhona Mahony and will be comprised of membership from across key Government Departments and Agencies.
Minister Donnelly stated:
“The most effective way to manage the cost of claims against the HSE is to minimise incidents of avoidable harm. While the Department and the HSE work continuously to monitor and improve patient safety, reduce incidents of harm and to minimise risk, I am keen to take further action on this.
The establishment of this Group, chaired by, Dr. Rhona Mahony and comprising membership from across key Government Departments and Agencies, will be essential in identifying measures that could be put in place to improve outcomes for patients and reduce future costs. This is an important piece of work for patients and for the whole health service and I look forward to receiving the group’s findings and recommendations in due course”.
ENDS //
NOTES TO EDITOR
- The Government today approved the establishment of Interdepartmental Working Group to examine the rising cost of health-related claims and consider mechanisms to reduce costs, agreed to its membership and to Group’s Terms of Reference and to the appointment of Dr. Rhona Mahony as independent chair.
- Dr Rhona Mahony is a consultant Obstetrician and Specialist in Fetal Medicine at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH), Dublin. She is a former Master of NMH and Director of Women's Health in IEHG. She is a fellow of the RCOG UK and RCPI Ireland. She has a strong track record in advocacy for women's healthcare and was awarded an honorary fellowship from the American College O&G and an honorary doctorate from NUI for her contribution to women's health. She has published numerous papers in the academic press. In 2014, Dr Mahony became an Eisenhower Fellow spending time in the USA as part of a multi-nation leadership programme. In 2013, she founded the National Maternity Foundation which supports the work of the Hospital. She sits on the board of St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group, on the advisory Board of Trinity Business School and on the board of Halocare. She is currently Chairman of the Little Museum of Dublin.
Terms of Reference for the Group:
The Interdepartmental Working Group will examine the rising cost of clinical negligence claims in the health system, with a particular focus on high value claims, and identify measures that could be put in place to reduce future costs. In particular, the Group will:
1) Assess the reasons why costs of claims are continuing to rise;
2) Develop a plan to implement risk management and other initiatives to reduce the occurrence of adverse incidents, particularly in the category of high value claims (>€4m), that could improve outcomes and reduce costs in the future (consider engagement with, inter alia, the National Neonatal Encephalopathy Action Group, which is a collaboration between SCA, NPSO and HSE and is examining strategies to mitigate risk relating to preventable birth injuries);
3) Recommend measures to address patient concerns following incidents, (e.g., disclosure procedures, trauma counselling, provision of supports) that will reduce the need for patients to initiate legal proceedings. In considering this, the group should give consideration to those measures suggested by Dr. Scally in his final implementation review report published in November 2022.
4) Receive updates on the implementation of the recommendations set out in the Report of the “Expert Group to Review the Law of Torts and the Management of Clinical Negligence Claims” (the ‘Meenan Report’), and Civil Justice reform measures being undertaken in the Department of Justice where relevant to the issue of reducing the cost of HSE related claims and identify actions to accelerate these reforms and maximise their impact on health claims;
5) Examine the health system’s involvement in the claims process, in particular its role in the provision of evidence/medical records in the course of discovery with a view to streamlining processes that could reduce the administrative cost of claims, including but not limited to legal costs;
6) Consider the policy and health system approach to Mass claims, including examining whether there is scope for the Department/HSE to improve or standardise its approach when dealing with calls for redress and inquiries.
The Group will examine these issues only within the parameters set out in the Terms of Reference, as approved by Government.