<p>
	HSE chief Tony O&#39;Brien has said his head is &quot;on the block&quot; almost every day.</p>
<p>
	Mr O&#39;Brien has two years of his contract as director general of the health service to run.</p>
<p>
	Earlier this week, it emerged that Health Minister Leo Varadkar sent a memo to senior officials - not including Mr O&#39;Brien - saying heads will roll unless improvements are seen in A&amp;E overcrowding this winter.</p>
<p>
	Mr O&#39;Brien said the minister has the power to sack him and that as director general his head is on the block almost &quot;every day&quot;.</p>
<p>
	The hope is that overcrowding will be better than in 2014, when it reached record levels, and no worse than 2013, he told the &#39;Today With Sean O&#39;Rourke&#39; programme on RT&Eacute; radio.</p>
<p>
	Some 374 patients ended up on trolleys in April 2013 when numbers rose by 2pc.</p>
<p>
	The modest target means patients can at best hope for a mild reprieve and must brace themselves for long delays on trolleys again.</p>
<p>
	Mr O&#39;Brien said he plans that 300 hospital beds will be opened but problems recruiting staff may mean that this is not fully possible.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/my-head-is-on-the-block-each-day-says-hse-chief-obrien-31575832.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/my-head-is-on-the-block-each-day-says-hse-chief-obrien-31575832.html</a></p>
