Staff drain continues apace

I refer to your recent article (Irish Examiner, Jan 8) where Minister Kathleen Lynch claims that she successfully fought new mental health staff delays.

The 2014 HSE National Service Plan states: “There are approximately 457 new posts currently in the recruitment process relating to prior-year, ring-fenced funding and a further 250-280 new posts that are planned for recruitment in 2014.”

There is a clear admission in this statement that over the past years the promised numbers to be recruited never materialised on the ground. Also, in any given year approximately 250 staff will retire from the mental health service. However, in recent years the number of retirements have dramatically increased due to low morale, cutbacks and disillusionment of staff within a crumbling service. Therefore, in 2014 the recruitment of 250-280 new posts will be offset by the same approximate number of staff retiring.

More revealingly, the Service Plan goes on to state: “The 2006 Government policy for mental health, ‘A Vision for Change’ (AVFC), indicates a requirement for 12,240 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) staff by 2016 which compares to the 9,065 in place at the end of September 2013”. Based on this statement and assuming the retirement of 250 staff each year, the service would need to recruit approximately 1,250 staff each year over the next 3 years to reach the 12,240 WTE staff outlined in the document.

This indicates the challenge that confronts Minister Lynch in implementing the recommendation of AVFC and delivering a comprehensive community mental health service fit for purpose.

What are the chances of this happening? Sad to say, next to zero.

Cormac Williams

Branch organiser

Psychiatric Nurses’ Association

Co Kerry