HSE to offer permanent contracts to all nursing, midwifery and health and social care graduates

On Monday, the HSE confirmed that more than 1,000 final year health and social care students, as well as 1,600 nurses and midwives, will now qualify for these roles after they complete their courses and placements.

All graduate nurses, midwives and health and social care graduates will be offered permanent contracts with the HSE as part of the national health service's aim to address shortages of staff in key areas. 

On Monday, the HSE confirmed that more than 1,000 final year health and social care students, as well as 1,600 nurses and midwives, will now qualify for these roles after they complete their courses and placements. 

Students who sit their exams in the summer and get their professional registration in autumn will be able to take up the permanent role shortly afterwards. 

According the health service, this recruitment initiative will be "fundamental" in the delivery and development of services within the HSE as well as address the "shortages of frontline staff in key areas". 

This includes graduates from health and social care degrees — who account for 25% of the clinical workforce and 14% of the overall health service workforce. 

Roles that are offered in this initiative include dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists, speech and language therapists, social workers, medical scientists, radiation therapists, clinical measurement, audiologists, and radiographers. 

The offer of permanent contracts to health and social care graduates is not restricted by the recruitment pause announced last year which saw the HSE extend a hiring freeze to include home helps, doctors in training, and additional agency staff above a certain level among other health professions in a bid to contain costs. 

Instead, these roles offered will focus on replacement rates for retiring staff as well as help address key shortfalls in services.  

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said this "recruitment initiative is central to our drive towards universal healthcare".

“I am delighted to be able to offer every one of the graduates in nursing and midwifery as well as a host of other roles in the health and social care professions a career in the HSE this year," he said. 

“To be in the position to strengthen our teams across the country is very welcome, in particular in the areas of disability and mental health services. This recruitment initiative is central to our drive toward universal healthcare and delivering health services for our growing and ageing population need.” 

HSE national director of HR Anne Marie Hoey added: "Opportunities such as those in speech and language services, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are particularly focused on our disability services. We hope this will lead to more people working in those teams and improve services for our clients and their families. 

"Social worker and dietician roles are vital in mental health services. This initiative is key to the way healthcare should be provided, with multi-disciplinary teams that can take care of our patients' and service users needs.

“All nursing and midwifery graduates from Irish nursing schools have been offered a permanent contract, following a competitive capability assessment. This has proven to be a very successful initiative, leading the HSE to extend this offer to health and social care roles.”