The internationally well established clinical directorate model of management has been piloted in Ireland by St James's since November 1993. Diagnostic, anaesthetic, pharmacy and therapy services were to be grouped into a further four clinical service directorates. Typically, each clinical directorate would group those specialties, both medical and surgical, that complemented each other in the multi-specialty treatment of illness categories. This need for clinical compatibility of the specialties being grouped together was the paramount criterion in the determination of the clinical directorate configurations. Other criteria were the attainment of a minimum size, defined in budgetary and activity terms, and, as far as possible, geographic proximity as the capital development of the hospital took shape.
Clinical directors hold office initially for a three year term.
They assume their new duties while retaining in full their clinical commitments at St James's. Clinical directors become ex officio members of the hospital s Executive Management Group. They are supported by two new posts in the organisational structure, a directorate nurse manager and a business manager. In the clinical service directorates, the nurse manager post would be substituted by an equivalent post with management responsibility for non-medical professional staff groups. Two clinical directorates were established in November 1993.