Hsemw: Community Healthcare Network Manager

Health care services in Ireland are undertaking a significant reform in line with Government policy as envisioned in Sláintecare to ensure that the service delivery model and associated governance and management structures in Community Healthcare are fit for purpose to deliver high-quality, safe and effective care that meets the needs of the population and is delivered as close to home as possible.

In order to realise the benefits of Sláintecare and the future of healthcare in Ireland, there is a need for strong leadership and ownership at local level, bringing the relationship between primary care and specialist social care, mental health & acute hospital services, as well as advancing the health and wellbeing of the population, into a much more focused and integrated approach in each local area.

Ownership and responsibility for the provision of health and social services, through the life cycle is best placed within the communities that people live. Community Healthcare Networks, serving a community population of on average 50,000, are the fundamental unit of organisation for the delivery of services.

Community Healthcare Networks, led by a Community Healthcare Network Manager, will facilitate the move to an increasingly integrated healthcare system which is responsive to people’s needs at the lowest level of complexity, and will ensure a focus on the population in local areas.

The Community Healthcare Network Manager is the accountable and responsible person for ensuring the delivery of primary care services to the population within the defined network area.

They will co-ordinate services within their remit and actively engage with relevant internal and external services to ensure seamless, integrated, and person-centred care pathways across CHNs, including links with disability, mental health, older persons’ services, and acute hospitals

Both the role of Community Healthcare Network Manager and Discipline Managers are critical to the safe and effective provision of service at PCT level. The network manager position is the key role within the overall operational management and delivery system taking ownership of the integration of services within the network, and with other service providers relevant to the network.

It is acknowledged that the roles of Community Healthcare Network Manager and Discipline Manager are distinctive in nature. It is vital that the respective roles are collaborative in nature while being clear about their respective functions so that there is no ambiguity, duplication of purpose or confusion of responsibilities.

The Community Healthcare Network Manager is the accountable and responsible person for ensuring the delivery of specified Primary Care services to the population within the defined network area.

The Discipline Manager is accountable and responsible for providing clinical governance and assurance regarding professional practice, quality and standards and will have a line of supervision to the relevant staff in this respect.