[ad_1]
The HSE got about 70 percent of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic correctly, but would make different decisions by about 30 percent; namely, nursing homes and use of private hospitals, according to its executive director.
Paul Reid told the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) that the HSE “did not have time” to evaluate 100 percent of its decisions in real time because the response needed was so urgent.
Despite the high-profile mistakes, public trust in the HSE has increased since the pandemic began, he said.
“One of the things that I said to the cabinet at the beginning of the process and to the opposition parties at that time, there was no doubt that we would get 70 percent of the decisions that we were going to make would be correct, hopefully, but not. He doubts that 30% of things would not be correct. ”
That was the way he wanted HSE teams to tackle the pandemic, he said.
“We just didn’t have time (100 percent). Some things, I think, that we got right in that phase were without a doubt the augmentation capacity that we were in a position to implement.
“Part of the UCI investment that was made early and some of the additional beds that were brought in, but particularly the augmentation capacity that our UCI consultants and teams led, in training additional resources throughout that process. .
Ability to build
“Certainly the investment in acute and subacute beds, a total of 400, I will be arguing to maintain next year. Incorporate new avenues of care, both Covid and non-Covid, as we emerge and open all other services.
“Test and trace, build capacity, which I think has proven to be one of the best in Europe in terms of the volume that we are testing and delivering, despite the many challenges we had.
“The PPE was a big challenge, but we outweighed our weight thanks to our international embassies and the IDA, etc.”
He admitted that other decisions will now be made differently, the main ones being the use of private hospitals, as well as nursing homes.
“That was an immediate way to just build capacity right away.
“Certainly when we look at the next phase, we see a very different way that we do that (using private hospitals).
“It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the whole approach to nursing homes, who is responsible for what.
“The disease surprised us all in terms of asymptomatic presentations in nursing homes, and particularly in the levels of transmission.
“That has been a learning experience and the expert panel report has established those learnings.”
He said he believed the public saw a “very different health service” and that he had followed greater public trust.
“I think it’s something we all need to learn: a more unique and unified voice for the health service is something we can reflect on.”
In relation to Sláintecare, the HSE has “invested more in six months than we could have in the next three or four years,” said Mr. Reid.
“We did it at the pace and now I have worked in all sectors, and I have never seen such a change implemented by so many people so fast.”
[ad_2]