The recommendations set out in this chapter are founded on the following three major guiding imperatives
(1) the need to urgently create a Medical Education, Training and Research (METR) structure within the HSE,
(2) the need to configure a METR structure and function that can immediately begin to deliver on the huge METR responsibilities newly assigned to the HSE in the Fottrell and Buttimer Reports and the new Medical Practitioners Act; and
(3) the need to ensure that the METR unit would be fully compatible with and not detract from the HSE Board Education, Training and Research Committee policy objective to aim for a single multidisciplinary ETR structure within the organisation to cover medical, dental, nursing, health and social care professionals and management, to achieve an integrated approach to all education, training and research within the HSE.