Health management jobs almost doubled
A total of 7,904 worked in this sector in 1995 compared to 15,690 in 2002 - an increase of 98%, according to the Comptroller and Auditor Generalâs audit on health spending.
Meanwhile, nursing figures rose by just 22% and medical and dental staff figures by 48%. Numbers working for health boards as social and health care professionals, such as social workers and counsellors, rose by 135% during this period.
Expenditure by the department rose over this seven-year period by 169% - a figure that far outstrips spend increases in other government departments.
Pay and pay-related expenditure, followed by the increased cost of the medical card scheme and rising costs of clinical supplies, accounted for most of the health servicesâ soaring costs rather than increased and improved services.
Rising blood costs, new technology developments, more laboratory expenditure and more expensive drug bills all contributed to the doubling of the clinical supplies bill.
Expenditure on the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme rose by 183% but the numbers eligible for medical cards fell from 1.22 million to 1.6 million from 1997 to 2002.
The 2002 figure includes all those aged 70 and over who were included on the scheme in July 2001.
The C&AG also noted that hospital activity had âincreased consistentlyâ and that nearly one-million people were discharged from hospitals in 2002.
The C&AG also revealed that Beaumont Hospital, and possibly other public hospitals, are not receiving full payment for outpatient services to private hospitals and other agencies.
He called for an urgent clarification of costing and invoicing structures in this area as there is confusion.
The running of some health agencies was also criticised. Mr Purcell said that full boards of directors were often not in place.
Inadequate planning also led to spending âŹ3.4m on fitting out a building in Bray, which was only partly used for four years before being vacated.
