The introduction in Ireland in 2008 of the clinical directorate model as the accepted method for the organisation of health services and the involvement of clinicians in the management of these services is one of the most significant developments to happen in the Irish health services in recent years. It poses major challenges for all clinical and medical professions.

In Clinical Directorates in the Irish Health Services, Yvonne O’Shea explores the history and evolution of clinical directorates over the last thirty years in order to arrive at a deep understanding of the thinking behind them and the impact they are likely to have on Irish health services.

Clinical Directorates in the Irish Health Services is about making the right choices in the management of health services. It suggests that the involvement of clinicians in management and in making decisions about how resources are used, in acute and primary settings, is the most efficient way to guarantee the effective use of resources and the safety of patients.

Clinical Directorates in the Irish Health Services provides Irish clinical professionals with a resource to assist them in understanding the clinical directorate model and their own role within it.