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Dublin: 9 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

Former HSE boss pens behind-the-scenes book

Brendan Drumm hasn’t shied away from writing about the challenges and “major issues” he encountered while at the helm of the HSE for five years.

Brendan Drumm
Brendan Drumm
Image: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

THE FORMER HEAD of the Health Service Executive, Brendan Drumm, has penned a book that gives a look at his time in the HSE.

The Challenge of Change: Putting Patients Before Providers will be released by Blackhall Publishing on 31 October of this year and the publishers say it gives a “fascinating behind-the-scenes account of a major transition period in Ireland’s health system”.

A consultant paediatrician, Drumm was chief executive of the HSE from 2005 to 2010, and was succeeded by Cathal Magee.

The book will acknowledge the problems with and criticisms of the HSE, but the publishers say Drumm’s vision “has been and still is one of reform”.

In the book, he will discuss his work during the five years and looks at the obstacles for an integrated healthcare system and healthcare reform in Ireland.

He also writes about  the “challenge of bringing doctors, nurses and other clinicians along with change”.

The National Children’s Hospital is also discussed, as well as the “major adverse events” Drumm encountered during his time with the HSE.

A site near the Mater Hospital has been chosen for the National Children’s Hospital, but building has not yet begun on the structure.

Drumm drew headlines last year when it was revealed that the HSE spent €3 million on advisors for the Co Leitrim native.

Since finishing up at the HSE, Drumm has returned to his clinical practice at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and his academic work at UCD.

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Comments (19 Comments)

  • Could someone write a book on how our decrepit health service could be fixed?

    Why read this bloody cliche ridden nonsense about ‘change, ‘reform’, ‘challenges’ etc. ‘Major adverse event’ – there’s a good one! does that mean lying for days on a trolley in a corridor while at deaths door.

    I wonder does he explain why consultants get to use hospital facility’s at tax payers expense to conduct their private practice.

    Just another of our retired ‘elite’ who done a great job for the nation, just like our bankers, regulators, fianna fail government ministers. Where would I stop…

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  • Just in time for Christmas …

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  • I suppose he’ll be slappin his own back and that of an overwhelmed and ill equipt health care system…

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  • ian 03/10/11 #

    Well he can stick it up his arse because I for one will not be reading what that waste of space has to say..
    Good luck and let us know how that works out for you Brendan…

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  • PLEASE ppl – don’t buy this book !!! This man was part of the elite that was running Ireland in the early-mid part of the last decade. We all know the damage that was done in that time, and though Drumm is not to blame for the economic collapse he is symptomatic of the failure of government, regulation and management at the time. Both he and Harney (along with many others) should be serving jail time.

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    • How can you say in one sentence that Drumm wasn’t to blame and then argue for jail time? Jesus Christ

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    • @Sean. U clearly didn’t read my comment correctly or else u are just plain dumb. Nobody could blame him for the recession, but he presided over the establishment of an even more 2 tier, divisive health service, the fiasco of the establishment of the HSE and like Neary, Lonergan etc was asleep at the wheel in his ‘management’ duties. PS – hope u find the book a stimulating read.

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    • Nice one, I disagree with you therefore I’m stupid. Drumm brought in in 2005. HSE established in 2004 legislation and begun soon after. What began as a good idea to nationalise and standardise the health service quickly became mired in public service union contracts bs the inability to fire staff. A Harney-driven attempt to harness the growing Private Healthcare System (which is here whether you like it or not) so that hospitals could earn more cash, and also to link to public hospitals so that standards of care could be maintained clearly blew up in her face and was badly managed. Drumm did his best and couldn’t make an impact on a bloated public body.

      P.S. I probably will enjoy the read as it’s always good to try and understand what challenges the HSE faces (as an employee)

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    • Sean?

      Notwithstanding the matter of consultants in private practice in public hospitals. Am I clear that you are an employee of the HSE? – A public servant who is prepared to admit that reform in the health service became mired in union intractability. Refreshing!

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    • What interests most people Sean is the challenges faced by patients and not the detail of why people like Drumm can’t get the job that their handsomely paid to do DONE. ‘Badly managed indeed Sean – you said it yourself!

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  • Not that it is very important, but could you get your basic facts correctly? The hospital in Crumlin changed its name over 5 years ago to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin….

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