The impact of “potential fuel disruption” arising from the military conflict between the United States (US) and Iran was the focus of a specially convened HSE workshop.
The workshop was referenced during the May meeting of the HSE audit and risk committee, as part of a wider discussion on governance and risk. According to minutes, committee members were informed that the workshop had focused on potential impacts for the health service, risk mitigations, and response plans arising from the conflict in the region. The workshop took place after the conclusion of nationwide protests and blockades over fuel prices, which had risen due to the conflict. The disruption impacted on transport and travel, creating serious patient safety risks.
A HSE spokesperson confirmed to the Medical Independent that the HSE Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Mr Joe Ryan convened a workshop in April involving relevant stakeholders from across the organisation.
“The workshop provided an opportunity for relevant stakeholders to assess emerging geopolitical and fuel supply risks and to consider their potential implications for the HSE,” said the spokesperson.
The discussion involved consideration of fuel supply and distribution risks, and potential impacts on health service delivery. The spokesperson said that the workshop also focused on factors such as the resilience of essential services, including the interdependencies between fuel, transport, utilities, healthcare services, and supply chains, and the importance of maintaining continuity of service during periods of disruption.
Attendees discussed the potential impacts of fuel distribution challenges on workforce mobility, patient transport, home care delivery, procurement, and infrastructure operations. Those in attendance noted that supply risks are supported by established national frameworks, legislation, strategic fuel reserves, and emergency allocation arrangements.
“Proposed next steps [following the workshop] include further engagement and assessment of fuel supply/disruption-related risks at the national and regional level to be undertaken to inform risk management processes,” said the spokesperson.
On whether the conflict may be added to the HSE corporate risk register, the spokesperson said the CRO determines whether a risk qualifies for inclusion. As of mid-July, the “assessment and engagement process” on this issue was ongoing.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.