HSE taking more than seven months to fill vacant therapy positions 

'Talking therapies are proven to reduce the likelihood of more expensive mental health interventions like hospitalisation or medication.'

It is taking the HSE more than seven months on average to fill vacant therapy positions across the health service.

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows the average length of time between advertising for vacant therapy positions, regardless of grade, and the appointed employee beginning their role is more than 30 weeks.

For a staff grade vacant therapy position, regardless of grade, the average time between advertising and role commencement is 33 weeks.

For senior grade therapy positions, this average time stands at 31 weeks.

While providing the above information, a HSE spokesperson said the average timescales are based on the end-to-end process of a large national campaign.

“It is, however, worth noting that such campaigns produce a national panel for each profession to which positions are offered as they arise and are more expediently filled,” she added.

“As vacancies arise throughout the lifetime of these panels, the fill time from advertising to appointment varies greatly.

“The fill time from the point of offer to the panel, however, is on average around nine weeks,” she said.

The HSE’s advertising of a campaign is split into three separate departments within the National Recruitment Service (NRS): campaigns, job orders and contracting.

The HSE also said that, in relation to the advertising of positions, timeframes can vary due to the number of applicants for each campaign.

In relation to the job offer/acceptance stage, the HSE said the timeframe could vary due to workloads and priorities.

The HSE said that timeframes in contracting can vary due to waiting times in accessing clearances such as occupational health and Garda vetting clearance as “the NRS have no remit over the timeframe of receipt of these clearances”.

“Also, candidates' behaviour has a large impact on the time frame associated with the clearance process,” the HSE concluded.

Long waiting lists

The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) highlighted the need for increased access to therapy services in light of the lengthy processing times and long waiting lists for services.

IACP chief executive Lisa Molloy said: “Access to counselling and psychotherapy is incredibly important and any improvements that can be made for timely access to HSE services as well as therapy more generally are to be welcomed. All routes need to be explored.

“We advocated for increased access to counselling and psychotherapy services in our pre-budget submission where we asked the Government to extend tax relief fully to counselling and psychotherapy, as a qualifying health expense, in Budget 2022.

“Talking therapies are proven to reduce the likelihood of more expensive mental health interventions like hospitalisation or medication,” she added.

“However, access and affordability are key.” 

The HSE was contacted for comment.