HSE to hire 700 community swabbers for Covid-19 testing

The HSE want to free up clinical staff for other roles. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD 

The HSE wants to hire more than 700 community swabbers to help support its Covid-19 testing regime.

A recruitment drive is being launched next week to fill the roles, with students and people seeking part-time work being urged to apply.

Applicants do not need any experience and full training will be provided.

HSE Chief Operations Officer Anne O'Connor said it will free up other workers in the health service who had been redeployed in recent months. 

Ms O'Connor says: "We have many people who have been deployed to support swabbing and contact tracing. 

"And it's really important for us now to be able to recruit dedicated swabbers and to allow those clinical staff to go back to be able support other services I've just mentioned. 

"And that competition is going live on Monday and there will be a dedicated online campaign and people will be able to access it on the HSE.ie website. 

"And this role is flexible across seven days."

Meanwhile, the HSE has said one-in-four appointments for Covid-19 tests are not being kept. 

Ms O'Connor said the evidence at present is that 25% of appointments are not being attended, with the trend varying from location to location.

The news was delivered at the HSE’s latest Covid-19 operational briefing in Dublin.