You are heading an interprofessional advisory committee formed to discuss potential cuts to health services in your region.
The newly appointed Health Minister has announced that the country has seen increasing demands on health services and as a result must announce a raft of cuts to attempt to address the budget deficit.
Every effort will be made to target areas that will not impact directly on patient services and that will protect frontline services. However, it will not be possible to avoid some sort of disruption and possible withdraw of current care.
Over a series of meetings the committee has narrowed possible areas where cutbacks could be implemented:
Youth Mental Health: A reduction of adolescent psychiatric hospital beds with a proposal of youth being moved to adult wards.
Maternity Services: Cuts to maternity advice and support services including violence against women, asylum and homelessness maternity services.
Occupational Therapy - Cuts to at home assessment and interventions for people whose ability to cope with daily activities has been affected by ageing, illness or injury.
In order for the Minister to make a final decision the advisory committee has been asked to make recommendations. At today’s meeting the short list will be presented and the decision made on the area to be cut. The committee has voted with the unprecedented situation of equal votes for each area of health care. As Chair you will need to make the casting vote.
Which service should be reduced?
Image source
It is proposed that the recommendation should be that maternity advice and support services should be reduced