Tallaght Hospital has image problem, study finds

Board members at Tallaght Hospital are frustrated with the difficulty of portraying the hospital in a positive light, according to an internal report.

Interviews with board members reveal frustration with “the uphill battle involved in projecting positive dimensions of the hospital’s performance”, the review of board effectiveness finds.

The board is already conscious it needs to invest more effort in engaging with stakeholders, according to the consultants who carried out the review, Empeira.

Overall, the review finds the board is working well and discharging its governance role effectively, though further improvements are achievable. The exception is the area of communications and stakeholder engagement.

The report lists things which could be done better, including a greater emphasis on strategy and the management of external communications, increased participation of some members at board meetings and the circulation of board papers in a more timely manner.

Focus on strategy

Among items not working well, it lists the lack of focus on strategy issues and the training and development of board members. It says an increased focus on strategy is required at board level.

It acknowledges the board has embarked on continuous improvement in providing leadership, direction and control in the hospital. “All of the evidence we have examined points to an engaged board, which takes its responsibilities seriously, works effectively with executive and clinical leadership in the hospital, and is actively addressing the range of governance issues identified in the relevant governance codes.”

The report says two vacancies on the board should be filled, preferably with representatives from primary care and service users. Private time should be taken at the start of meetings to allow members to raise concerns and preview urgent items.

In 2010, following a scandal over unreported X-rays, the hospital agreed to cut the board from 23 to 10 and to introduce other reforms. Two years later, the death of a patient prompted a report by the Health Information and Quality Authority which was heavily critical and recommended the dissolution of the then interim board.