Health service set to gain 600 jobs this year

THE Department of Health last night took issue with a claim that 600 jobs would be shed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) under its first national service plan.

A spokesman for the department told the Irish Examiner there would be a net increase of 600 jobs across health services in 2005.

He was responding to a report on RTÉ giving details of the service plan, which will be published today.

While acknowledging that there will be a reduction of 600 positions, the spokesman said that a further 1,200 posts will be created arising from the commissioning of capital projects, developed at a cost of €400 million but currently lying idle.

The spokesman also pointed out that the Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney had told the HSE that any reductions in staff must arise out of natural wastage, and would have to be “consistent with the protection of frontline services”.

The departments also pointed to the fact that another 1,200 jobs would be created as a result of the €70 million allocation for mental health and disability services this year.

According to RTÉ, the plan, which has been approved by Ms Harney, envisages a cap on staff numbers at 97,225 and prioritises A&E and disability services within the overall €11 billion budget.

Approximately half of the 2005 budget will be allotted to hospitals.

Some 14,000 people, most of whom are adults, are on waiting lists for in-patient treatment, according to the report.

The Health spokesman said the 50% increase in the National Treatment Purchase Fund budget, from €40m to €60m would ensure that the numbers on waiting lists would be dramatically reduced.

According to the Department of Health the figure of 1.2 million people using A&E services each year has been consistent over the past three years.

The plan, says the RTÉ report, promises to maintain 2004 levels of service but to increase capacity in A&E and disability. The plan envisages increases of staff numbers in those sectors.

The plan points to historic under-funding in the services and also identifies shortage in staff numbers in some critical frontline areas.