Audit warns thousands of unsuitable workers may have permanent health service jobs

The audit’s findings mean the HSE had no record as to whether the majority of new employees had performed satisfactorily before their probation period had expired.

The HSE failed to adequately assess and record the performance of new recruits during probationary periods means potentially thousands of unsuitable workers are getting permanent jobs in the health service, an internal audit has warned.

A report by HSE auditors found only 1,320 out of 4,695 new employees hired by the HSE in the greater Dublin region had a probation record – the equivalent of almost three in every 10 new staff.