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The Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD, today, Monday, 21st October, 2013 announced the appointment of Ms. Anne Maher as Chairperson of the Dublin North East Hospital Group.

Minister Reilly said “We are very lucky to have somebody of the calibre and experience of Ms. Anne Maher as Chair of the Board of the Dublin North East Hospital Group. I note Ms. Maher’s experience as a non-Executive Director on a number of Boards and her role as Chief Executive of the Pensions Board for Ireland until 2006. However, it is the insight she will bring as a result of her experience as Chairman of the Medical Professional Competence Steering Committee and subsequent membership of the Medical Council Professional Competence Committee that will be of significant benefit to patients. Quality and patient safety are core principles on which current health policy is based and Ms. Maher’s first-hand experience will ensure this is the case in the Dublin North East Hospital Group.”

The Dublin North East Hospital Group

The Dublin North East Hospital Group comprises Beaumont Hospital; Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; Connolly Hospital; Cavan General Hospital; Rotunda Hospital; Louth County Hospital and Monaghan Hospital. The Group’s academic partner is the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals have undertaken considerable preparatory work with this group’s primary academic partner, RCSI, to develop a strategic alliance which will benefit the group as a whole. The Rotunda Hospital will provide leadership in maternity services (obstetrics, midwifery and neonatology) and gynaecology services to all of north Dublin and the northeast. It is well recognised that the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (in the Dublin East Group) and the Rotunda Hospital share strong clinical links including joint consultant appointments. These links are a fundamental support to the work of the hospitals and they will continue to have strong links as well as joint consultant appointments.

This Group brings hospitals between Dublin and the border into one group. The Higgins Report recommends that services for the region should develop cognisant of cross-border linkages and retain the potential to develop formal cross border hospital networks.

It is the Minister’s intention to announce the appointment of a Chairperson to the remaining hospital group, South/South West shortly. Following the final appointment, the Department of Health will enter into discussions with the Chairpersons with a view to appointing the other Board members as soon as possible.

Notes for Editors

Key benefits that will arise as a result of the establishment of groups include:

· Stronger governance and management structures at the hospital level;

· Managed competition which will lead to more cost effective care and the removal of duplicated services;

· A concentration of complex services at particular hospitals in order to ensure quality;

· Efficiencies through the avoidance of duplication in areas such as HR and finance.

Within current health policy, health services aim to provide efficient and effective care, as close to the patient’s home as possible, with a view to improved health outcomes and satisfaction for patients. It can be difficult to achieve the necessary reform while hospitals exist in isolation from one another. The formation of hospital groups will allow the group to manage their own affairs and operate with maximum autonomy. It will also ensure that the treatment required by patients is received at the most appropriate level in the most appropriate and safest setting.

Biographical Note - Ms Anne Maher

Anne Maher holds a Bachelor of Civil Law Degree from University College Dublin and served as Chief Executive of The Pensions Board for Ireland until 2006. She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Irish Airlines Pensions Limited, Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, Allied Irish Banks Pensions Limited, AIB DC Pensions (Ireland) Limited and the Irish Fiscal Policy Research Centre (publicpolicy.ie) whose goal is ‘to promote better economic, social and environmental policies’ through independent research and effective communication to interested citizens. She is also a member of the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board, a Council member of the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland, a Governor of The Pensions Policy Institute (UK) and a member of the FTSE Jury of Appeal (UK).

She recently chaired the Medical Professional Competence Steering Committee and served as a member of the Medical Council’s Professional Competence Committee.

She was formerly Associate Director Corporate Business with Irish Life Assurance plc, a board director of Allied Irish Banks plc, of Bank Zachodni WBK S.A. (Poland) and of BNY Mellon Clearing International, Chairman of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, a member of the Commission on Public Service Pensions and of the National Economic and Social Council. She served as a board member of the Health Insurance Authority, the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority, the Review Board and the Professional Oversight Board (UK) and of a number of other public service boards. She also represented Ireland at European level on the European Federation for Retirement Provision and on the Committee for European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors and has been involved in a number of overseas consultancy projects with the World Bank.