Unions warn HSE's recruitment freeze is having 'significant impact on patient safety'
Eddie Walsh, Assistant General Secretary of Forsa, protesting in December with clerical and administrative staff outside Cork University Hospital. The union has called for an end to the 'short-sighted embargo'. Picture: Chani Anderson
Safety for patients continues to be impacted by staff shortages, health unions have warned in a letter to the HSE on the recruitment freeze.
Irish Congress of Trade Union (Ictu) health unions said there are constant shortages now in services around the country and this is having “ a significant impact on patient safety and outcomes”.
The unions — Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Irish Medical Organsisation (IMO), Connect, Unite, Siptu and Fórsa — called for the hiring pause to end.
Albert Murphy, chairman of the Ictu group of healthcare unions said: “We are now requesting that the HSE lifts the embargo with immediate effect as there is no justification for the continued embargo.”
In addition to the impact on patients, he said staff morale is affected by working in services where many posts have now been unfilled for long periods of time.
The HSE has not yet published its Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024. This sets out recruitment targets for the year and would help local decisions on filling available posts.
“It is a matter of deep concern to the trade unions that the Pay & Numbers Strategy has not been published as is required,” he said. He added “continued uncertainty” around when this will be published is severely affecting services across all disciplines.
“Unless the HSE meaningfully engage with unions on how the HSE recruitment freeze can be wound up, unions will be left with no option but to consult with their members and ultimately ballot for industrial action,” he warned.
Head of Fórsa’s health and welfare division Ashley Connolly said it sees every day the impact on patients. She supported the call for an end to the “short-sighted embargo”.
The union previously protested at Cork University Hospital (CUH) highlighting shortages in key jobs. These included staff who book patients for out-patient clinics, and receptionists for the emergency department.
Other vacancies at that time were among medical social workers and speech and language therapists.
Ictu also raised questions in the letter around an announcement earlier this week of 2,200 development posts for the HSE. A further 701 posts for the Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth were also announced.
HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said earlier this week of the pause: “I'm hoping that's going to relax pretty shortly.” It is in “detailed discussions” with the ministers for health, finance and public expenditure and reform.
The HSE is being re-organised into six regional areas. He said each regional executive officer will have “a pay envelope” and within that can hire staff, agency staff and offer overtime.
“Once they reach that limit, they must control and stay at that limit. But that's better than a blanket nationwide moratorium which is what we currently have,” he said.
He also pointed to exemptions being granted. “We have net more staff since Christmas of this year than we had last year. So clearly we are recruiting in certain grades and certain numbers," he said.
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