Next HSE chief should prioritise primary care

When the new CEO of the HSE takes up the post in August, most GPs hope the new recruit will focus on developing primary care.
Unsurprisingly, some 49 per cent of family doctors polled by IMT said it should be the top priority.

Another 34 per cent said reducing the number of HSE staff was the most important thing to address. A number clarified that they meant administrative staff rather than frontline healthcare workers.
Reducing hospital waiting lists was the priority for 10 per cent, while 9 per cent said the new CEO should cut costs.
A further 8 per cent said there were other priorities. Suggestions included implementing the Fine Gael FairCare policy of universal health insurance, improving the quality of care and controlling the amount of overtime worked.
The IMT GP survey selected 100 general practitioners at random from across the country and polled them for their opinions in January.