Former manager Dr David slams ‘over-managed’ HSE

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

The Health Service Executive (HSE) is “disconnected”, “aspirational” and “over-managed”.  These aren’t the words of a cancer patient or suicidal patient left waiting for hours on end on a trolley in the corridor of University Hospital Galway’s Emergency Department.

This is the verdict of Dr David O’Keefe, a consultant radiologist at UHG, who tweeted his views of the health service in response to a query from a journalist from a Sunday newspaper.

Regular readers will recall that Doctor David, back in 2011, was HSE West clinical director – effectively the manager of Galway’s public hospitals.

At the same time, he was a stakeholder in a private MRI Imaging Centre that had an exclusive agreement with the HSE to provide services to Galway University Hospitals.

This is a man, then, it’s fair to say, who has profited from the health system. One wonders did Doctor David think the HSE was over managed, disconnected and aspirational back then when he was in charge?

Browne’s bash on back-burner

Whisperers up at City Hall tell us that Mayor Pearce Flannery (FG) put on hold plans to host a civic reception for NUIG President James Browne.

The idea was floated prior to the Galway City Council October meeting which was held on campus.

Sinn Féin, we hear, was not supportive of the suggestion, not least because of the university’s gender equality and precarious employment record.

Hosting a civic reception doesn’t require unanimity, but considering councillors were meeting in the Aula Maxima, it would have been embarrassing for chums, Pearse (a member of the Board of NUIG) and Jimmy, if the idea to honour the university president was marred by dissenting voices.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.