HSE West to take on 123 staff as 1,222 retire

The regional head of operations in the HSE West area has confirmed it is to employ 123 new staff in critical service areas in response to the numbers retiring.

At a HSE West forum meeting in Galway John Hennessy confirmed that health services across the region — from Donegal to Limerick — was to lose “a considerable number of people” through the Government’s early retirement scheme.

Figures provided to the meeting showed that 1,222 had opted to retire and Mr Hennessy said that, in response, the HSE was to recruit 123 staff in critical care services. He said these frontline services related to critical care, midwifery and neo-natal care.

He said the HSE West had put in place “considerable contingency plans to avoid major service disruption to front line services”.

The figures show that 394 staff across the acute hospital network are to retire. However, the greatest proportion of the retirees, 793, is in the community care sector.

The figures show 20 are to retire in the HSE West corporate sector and 15 in its ambulance service.

The figures show that 511 of the retirees are based in the former Western Health Board area, with 307 in the former North Western Health Board area, and 291 from the former Midwest Health Board area.

The figures show an extra 113 staff in disability services have opted to retire.

Mr Hennessy said that, in 2012 alone, 680 staff confirmed they were retiring.

A written response by the HSE on the early retirement issue stated that “service contingency plans are in place in all locations across Area West to ensure the continued provision of high quality and safe services”.