Mater lacks internal disaster plan

Audit committee: The audit committee at the Mater Hospital in Dublin has warned the board that the hospital does not have an internal disaster recovery plan in place to deal with issues such as lack of access to key buildings on the campus in the event of a fire or a major computer failure.

In a report to the board of the hospital, the audit committee said the absence of a disaster recovery plan to deal with internal problems represented "a significant gap in overall risk management".

The Mater already has an "external" disaster plan to deal with events such as a major accident or a significant emergency such as a large-scale bus, rail or air crash.

However, the report says: "There is currently no internal disaster recovery plan to meet risks, for example, such as non-access to key buildings due to fire or industrial action or major IT malfunction or failure.

"The audit committee clearly recognises that establishing a disaster recovery plan is a major project in its own right, requiring significant resource and effort to execute. Nevertheless, the absence of a disaster recovery plan is a significant gap in overall risk management," the report states.

The audit committee at the Mater has proposed that management at the hospital prepare a two-page memorandum for consideration by the board in the months ahead.

It says that this should identify the key issues, resources, timing and investment required to complete a disaster recovery plan and thus facilitate a decision on how best to address the matter within the current strategic priorities of the hospital.

The board of the hospital has also urged senior management at the hospital to prioritise and progress the planning for and establishment of an internal disaster recovery plan.

The report also maintains that the remit of the internal audit arrangements at the Mater will be extended into the area of clinical risk management from January of 2007.

"However, it is intended to commence exploratory discussions and the review of international best practice in this area in quarter two of 2006, with a view to developing a clear plan, identifying key issues, resources, focus and timetable for review by the audit committee and discussion with the board in mid -2006," the report states.

In relation to patient debtors, the report also states that large balances with insurers remain outstanding.

It says the process of monitoring, following up and collection of these balances is manual and involves substantial administrative resources and effort.

The report proposes that this area be reviewed in order to determine whether a more effective and efficient process can be put in place.