Six new Public Health Areas have been launched across the country, "paving the way" for Regional Health Areas (RHA) outlined in the plans for the implementation of Sláintecare.
The change has also seen the appointment of five Area Directors of Public Health at the medical consultant grade, the sixth of which is due to commence in the coming weeks.
The HSE said the launch of the new areas was a "significant milestone in the history of the public health medicine service in Ireland and marks an important turning point in the implementation of the fundamental reforms required to realise the vision of the new service delivery model".
"Over time, implementation of the Public Health Areas with consultant leadership for all domains of practice working in a multidisciplinary team will deliver significant measurable impact for the population’s health and the health service," the HSE added.
In early April, the health service said the design of the six RHAs would be completed this year, before their phased introduction in 2023. The new system is scheduled to be fully operational from 2024.
The areas, referred to as Areas A-F, divide the country as follows;
- Area A: North Dublin, Meath, Louth, Cavan, and Monaghan
- Area B: Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Kildare, and parts of Dublin and Wicklow
- Area C: Tipperary South, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow, part of South Dublin
- Area D: Kerry and Cork
- Area E: Limerick, Tipperary and Clare
- Area F: Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, and Galway
According to the HSE website, the RHAs will then be further broken-down into 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs), each with an average population of 50,000, which will deliver primary and community services.
The move towards these RHAs is part of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2013, which was approved by the Government in May last year.
