HSE staff freeze one of most short-sighted decisions ever, IMO told

THE recruitment ban in the health service was yesterday described as one of the most short-sighted decisions ever taken by the HSE.

Doctors at the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) conference in Killarney, also heard calls for the lifting of the staff embargo, imposed in late 2007. Chief executive George McNeice said the IMO was assured last year that the regime of cutbacks was a short-term measure in order to meet arbitrary budget targets, but, subsequently, that was not the case.

He also accused top management in the health service of adopting “a my way or the highway” attitude towards the operation of the service.