Soaring demand for health workers as vacancies mount 

Careers in healthcare: There is huge demand for staff right across the health sector in Ireland, which is trying to come to grips with the Covid-19 pandemic and a growing need for healthcare services.

There is huge demand for healthcare workers right across the sector in Ireland, with staff labelled the “most valuable asset” in the system.

Recent reports from both the Government and independent corporations revealed that the number of applications and hires in the Irish healthcare sector increased over the past two years.

However, there is still huge demand for staff right across the health sector, which is trying to come to grips with the Covid-19 pandemic and a growing need for healthcare services.

Despite levels of increased hiring and applications, industry bodies and staff have highlighted the need for more staff in the sector.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) have been to the fore over the past two years or so, highlighting the need for additional staff.

Both unions have called for staffing plans and highlighted that recruiting more staff will also help retain existing numbers.

Dr Noirín Russell, clinical director for CervicalCheck, Ireland’s cancer screening service, highlighted the need for increased staff right across the board.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Dr Russell described staff as “the most valuable asset” in the healthcare system and highlighted the need for increased hiring in the sector.

She also emphasised the importance of staff feeling valued and respected in their roles, adding that staff who are cared for provide the best care for their patients.

“Staff are the most valuable asset,” said Dr Russell. “We have a very low rate of obs-gynae doctors per 100,000 of the population, one of the lowest in the OECD.

“One in five consultant posts are unfilled and it’s all very well having nice buildings but we need to have the staff to work in them. We’re working in an environment where healthcare staff are a valuable commodity and they’re in short supply everywhere,” she added.

“We’re also in particular need of medical scientists in both our histology and cytology laboratories but they’re in really short supply. We’re almost competing against a shortage of healthcare workers across different areas.

“That’s not just in CervicalCheck, it’s across different areas of the Irish health system. There’s just not enough people working in many areas.”

Dr Noírín Russell, consultant obstetrician/gynaechologist, CUMH.  Picture: Denis Minihane

Dr Russell highlighted the need for healthcare staff to feel respected in their work.

“It’s about respect. People want to work for organisations they respect and where they are respected and feel valued,” she said.

“We in healthcare are cognisant that to achieve excellence and deliver excellent patient care, you need staff and you need your staff to feel respected as well as competent.

“You want to feel autonomous — that you can change the things that need changing. You want a sense of belonging to a team that functions well as a team, and you want to know you are competent in what you’re doing, having both the skills and the resources to do what needs to be done.

“You have to have all of these elements to feel valued in work,” she added.

“You need an engaged healthcare staff and you need to look after your staff because, if you look after your staff, they’re better placed to look after their patients.”

A number of reports revealed that applications to work in the healthcare sector in Ireland have increased, along with the hiring of staff, in recent years.

A Government report published last month revealed that the healthcare workforce in Ireland increased over the past 18 or so months.

Meanwhile, data from AI-powered recruitment platform Occupop revealed that numbers applying for jobs in healthcare tripled as the industry battled against Covid-19 last year.

A new report from the Department of Health titled Health in Ireland — Key Trends 2021 presented evidence from across the health sector of the progress made and the challenges that still exist in providing healthcare in Ireland.

The report was published towards the end of November, and revealed increases in staff workforces across Ireland.

There were over 1,700 more nurses and almost 900 more doctors working in the HSE by the end of 2020, compared to the end of 2019, according to the report. This increase in healthcare workers contributed to an expenditure increase of over €3bn between 2019 and 2020.

The total number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) staff employed has increased by 8.3% since 2011, the report also revealed.

All grade categories have increased since 2018, and total public health employment now stands at over 126,000.

All specialities have seen an increase in the past ten years, and the total number of consultant hospital doctors now stands at 3,458.

The total number of consultant and non-consultant hospital doctors in Ireland is 10,928, an increase of over 44 percent since 2011.

In welcoming the publication of the report, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: “Health in Ireland: Key Trends 2021 is a timely reminder of the importance of a robust health information system for measurement, monitoring and reporting of healthcare quality and the outcomes for patients. This is essential to the success of Sláintecare, a priority area of investment and reform by my department in the coming years.”

Surge in health sector job applications

A recent report from Occupop revealed that the number of job applications for the health sector surged amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Occupop is an all-in-one recruitment solution that enables companies to attract, manage and hire the highest quality job applicants.

To date, Occupop has helped over 150 businesses manage their recruitment, including companies such as Hertz, B. Beacon Hospital, DPS, Global Shares, Blackrock Clinic and more.

An Occupop report revealed that almost 70,000 applications for healthcare positions were made through the platform in 2020 alone, in comparison to just over 23,000 in 2019. The number of hires also saw a marked increase.

The data indicated a sharp rise in the number of candidates seeking jobs within the industry, which has previously struggled to find enough talent to fill new and existing roles.

The most applied for positions include healthcare assistants (47.4%); administration (31%); nursing and midwifery (8.5%) and allied health professionals (6.2%).

Coinciding with the onset of Ireland’s second wave, October 2020 saw the highest level of jobs engagement within the healthcare sector, with four times the number of job applications as the previous year.