Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Jun 2002

Vol. 553 No. 3

Written Answers. - Health Service Appointments.

Richard Bruton

Question:

115 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the total number of approved posts in the health services which are not currently filled; the impact on total employees; and the total health pay bill of filling these posts. [14104/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Responsibility for the recruitment of staff and for monitoring the level of vacancies in the health service lies with the employing health agency. My Department collects data on vacancy levels for key professions central to the delivery of services, including medical, nursing and health and social care professionals, but does not hold information centrally on the total number of vacancies affecting the upwards of 100,000 persons currently employed in the health sector.

In so far as medical personnel are concerned, the total number of approved consultant posts in the public health system currently stands at 1,650 which is well in excess of the number recommended by the Tierney report on consultant staffing which proposed a staffing complement of 1,500 by the year 2003. I have been informed by Comhairle na nOspidéal that the number of hospital consultant posts approved but not currently filled on a permanent basis is 195. However, I understand that a large number of these vacant posts are currently filled in a temporary capacity and are in the process of being filled on a permanent basis. I have also been informed by Comhairle na nOspidéal that approximately 50 of the 92 temporary consultant posts approved to support the waiting list initiative have been filled to date. In addition, I have been advised by the Health Services Employers Agency that the total number of whole-time non-consultant hospital doctor vacancies currently stands at 51.5, representing a low vacancy rate of approximately 1.4%.

In respect of nursing, the HSEA undertakes a survey of nursing staff resources on an ongoing basis. As at 31 January 2002, while all sectors reported that recruitment of nurses was well ahead of the required replacement level, there were a total of 1,089 nursing vacancies in an employment complement of around 30,000. It should be noted that the end-January 2002 figures represents a significant decrease, approaching 20%, in the level of vacancies as compared to the position at end-November 2001.

Detailed information on vacancies for certain therapy professions is contained in the report by Peter Bacon and Associates, Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists, commissioned by my Department and published in July 2001. This report identified a total of about 200 vacant posts in physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in the health boards and the Dublin academic teaching hospitals. However, this should be set against the increase in excess of 400 – 35% – in employment in these professions in the health service over the three years to end-2000. In order to ensure that the quality of patient care is maintained, health service employers minimise the impact on service provision of vacancies in key health professional grades through the use of overtime, agency staff, locums, contract staff and by adjusting the skills mix, as appropriate. For example, in nursing, the HSEA survey disclosed that the utilisation of agency nurses and overtime working provides the service-equivalent of around 1,270 full-time nurses.

The Deputy will also be aware that intensive efforts continue to be undertaken to improve staffing levels including the provision of an increased number of training places, concerted recruitment of health care professionals from overseas and the enhancement of human resource management, in line with the objective set out in the health strategy to continue to transform the health service into an employer of choice so as to maximise the retention of personnel.

Continued investment in information technology together with the development of integrated workforce planning for the health service on a national basis, a key action specified in the health strategy, is expected to make a major contribution in the future to the provision of quality employment-related information and the development of a human resources inventory for the health service.