Nurses: Patient care at risk under HSE spending plan

Nurses fear the HSE’s spending plan poses a “high risk” to the safe delivery of patient care.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is worried that just 13 of the additional 1,224 nursing and midwifery posts have been confirmed this year.

There are 3,000 fewer nurses and midwives at work today than there were in 2007 and nurse recruitment and retention problems are mainly to blame.

INMO general secretary designate, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said the situation could not be ignored: “This scenario poses high risks for the delivery of safe patient care and will further exacerbate the exodus of nursing and midwifery staff from the public health service.”

The INMO is disappointed that the HSE National Service Plan 2018 did not state that there would be additional funding to increase the number of nurses and midwives.

However, the HSE did confirm in the service plan that they will need to make significant savings next year to deliver services.

Ms Ní Seaghdha said comments by HSE director general, Tony O’Brien, make her concerned that the health authority is going to start cutting staff.

She pointed out that they have had a recruitment agreement with the HSE since last February that by year-end there would be a fully funded increase of 1,224 nurses and midwives.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha said they raised their concerns with Health Minister, Simon Harris, who attended the launch of the HSE’s spending plan.

The INMO has since received a letter from the minister confirming full funding for the February agreement and full implementation.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha said HSE officials had told her an additional 200 nurses and midwives would be recruited by the year-end.

A challenge for the HSE is that the number of nurses leaving the health service exceeds the number of recruits, so the overall increase is minimal.

Representatives from the INMO and officials from the HSE are expected to meet in early January to discuss the development of a nursing and midwifery workforce plan for 2018.

The HSE’s spending plan points out that a priority for 2018 is to increase acute hospital capacity by opening additional beds and units.

However, the health authority has warned that there is less money provided for the acute hospital service next year.

The estimated cost of acute hospital services this year, at €4.7bn, is €6m above the 2018 budget level. The HSE describes this as a “financial challenge”.

HSE national director of acute hospitals, Liam Woods, said more staff would be needed for additional inpatient beds being provided next year so there would be an increase in the numbers.