The annual National Service Plan (NSP2011) setting out the type and volume of health and personal social services to be provided by the Executive during the period, was approved by the Minister for Health and Children on 5th February.  This plan reflects the strategic direction and key objectives outlined in the HSE Corporate Plan 2008 – 2011.  The NSP is the basis on which the Minister for Health and Children evaluates our performance and our annual progress in meeting out legislative obligations.

NSP2011 is framed within the context of health service reform, a rapidly changing economic environment and a climate of reducing resources. Prioritization is targeted at continued investment in community services, emergency services, the National Cancer Control Programme and the shift to day services.

NSP2011 builds on the work of previous years and concentrates on setting out the type and volume of health and personal social services to be provided by the Executive.  It incorporates greater and more explicit links between funding, staffing and service activity including more specific empirical targets and clearly defined timescales.  It also highlights the challenges and risks for the organization in the successful delivery of the plan particularly in terms of the human resource and industrial relations environment.