'Pitch ideas' to access €20m fund, says health minister

The launch of the fund has been welcomed by the Taoiseach Leo Varakdar and the Minister for Health Simon Harris.

“We are asking people to pitch their ideas as to how they can help reform the health service,” said Mr Harris, when he visited Inchicore Primary Care Centre today.

The fund will be used to support the development of existing and new best practice projects capable of being upscaled nationally.

People are being urged to look at how best to deal with chronic disease management and ways of shifting care to the community.

Mr Harris said they also wanted people to devise ways of using technology and digitalisation to deliver health services.

This will support us in meeting our ultimate goal of reducing waiting lists and reducing waiting times.

The minister said they were also inviting the community and voluntary organisations to also apply as well as public service bodies as nobody had a monopoly on good ideas.

He went on to describe the fund as “a tangible sign” of the Government's commitment to health reform and added that all of the funding must be spent this year.

“So I would encourage people in the public health service and those providing health and social services in the voluntary sector to apply for this. Give us your best ideas,” he said.

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Varadkar said Sláintecare was a ten-year cross-party plan to significantly improve and modernise the health service.

“Through this €20m integration fund we can put good ideas into action and share best practice to help care for people closer to home and keep them out of hospital,” he said.

Mr Harris said the fund was in addition to the existing funding commitments made to support the implementation of Sláintecare in the 2019 estimates process.

Submitted projects must be in a position to be implemented this year and the deadline for applications is Thursday, April 18.

A guide to the application process is available on the Department of Health's website.