Occupational Health Departments close to collapse, says IMO

The Department of Health said a funded workforce plan proposal for Occupational Health has been submitted as part of the Winter Initiative. File image

The HSE’s Occupational Health Departments are close to collapse, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has claimed.

As well as dealing with the usual occupational health issues, such as injuries at work, the consultants are also responsible for managing Covid-19 cases among health workers.

There are approximately 15 occupational health consultants in the HSE who are responsible 124,350 health workers.

One staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Occupational Health departments were assigned extra staff when the pandemic hit but these were reassigned back to other departments in the summer and haven’t been replaced.

“We told management we needed the staff but that didn’t seem to matter,” they said.

“Even though the required number of Covid-19 tests among health workers are increasing, the staff we were initially given have not returned.

The system cannot cope for very much longer.

They added: “The effect of a poorly-resourced occupational health system is that not all HSE workers who need to get swabbed are getting swabbed in a timely manner.

“As a result there is now an ever-increasing risk of health workers infecting health workers, and patients and the wider community.

"The chronic neglect of this vital service has now become an acute and urgent problem as the departments grapple to respond to Covid-19 pandemic and the significantly increased workload that it brings,” the staff member said.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic there was a significant need for increased funding and support and the pandemic is highlighting this issue.

“Without urgent action, Occupational Health will collapse and there will be no support for the health care workers in the HSE.” 

The Irish Examiner asked the Department of Health if there have been any plans to increase Occupational Health resources anytime soon.

In reply, a spokesperson said: “A comprehensive funded workforce plan proposal for OH has been submitted as part of the Winter Initiative.” 

The department was also asked what it has to say about claims the Occupational Health service is overstretched, understaffed and insufficiently resourced?

A spokesperson replied: “This has been acknowledged and recognized in the (Winter Initiative) submission.” 

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly also told the Irish Examiner: “Additional support for the incredibly important work done by Occupational Health professionals is included in the Winter Plan.”

Earlier this month Anthony Owens, IMO Director of Industrial Relations for Consultant and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors, wrote to HSE HR director Anne Marie Hoey.

He reminded her that Hay Management Consultants recommended in a 2010 report that Consultants in Occupational Medicine be treated in the HSE on a par with their consultant colleagues in other specialties.

At present they aren’t, and the IMO said this “acts as an extreme impediment to the recruitment and retention of very scarce and skilled personnel.

“The HSE is having significant difficulty in filling vacant Consultant in Occupational Medicine posts.

“The continued failure to address Consultant in Occupational Medicine terms and conditions will lead to the end of Occupational Medicine within the public sector.

“The current situation is untenable.”