Dan Neville
Question:212 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of staff appointed in an acting capacity in the hospital service of the MidWestern Health Board. [9978/00]
Written Answers. - Hospital Staffing.
The identification of staffing requirements and the deployment of staff within the overall financial and employment levels set by my Department is a matter for the management of each health agency. Current personnel policy for the health service provides that health agencies may fill non-consultant replacement posts without recourse to the Department. For this reason, the information sought by the Deputy in relation to the numbers employed in an acting or temporary capacity is not readily available.
It is also the case that the nature of the service to be provided – 24 hour, 365 days continuous care, and the seasonal requirements placed upon it – mean that health agencies must be able to respond when absences due to such factors as sick leave, maternity leave and holidays occur. Increased staffing can also be required at particular times of the year, e.g., winter, periods of increased activity, waiting list initiative, and acci dent and emergency pressures. The increased work load in these instances is also provided by the employment of temporary workers. For these reasons the number of staff working in an acting capacity at any one time varies according to changing needs.