Voluntary body review welcomed
by Bernard Harbor
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| IMPACT national secretary Eamonn Donnelly |
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IMPACT has welcomed the establishment of an independent review group to look at the role of voluntary organisations, including major acute hospitals, in publicly-funded health services. The review, which was announced by health minister Simon Harris in the summer, will be chaired by Dr Catherine Day and is to report within a year.
In a letter to Harris, IMPACT national secretary Eamonn Donnelly said the current funding model for voluntary bodies delivering health services was not “sufficiently sustainable to meet increasing and more complex societal demands.”
The union, which represents 30,000 health workers, including thousands in acute hospitals and other voluntary boards and agencies, is campaigning for funding and the restoration of pay in the sector. But the review will entail a much wider look at the structure and contribution of voluntary agencies and their relationship with statutory agencies.
It will make recommendations “having particular regard to the availability of publically-funded health services, equality considerations, patient safety, value-for-money, clinical governance, education and training of healthcare professionals, performance oversight, protection of public capital investment, and risk management.”
The terms of reference place a good deal of emphasis on the role of religious and faith-based organisations “having regard to changing patterns of religious affiliation” and changes in religious organisations themselves.
Eamonn said IMPACT would be making submissions to the review group.
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