Written Answers. - Hospital Staff.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
193
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the extent to which the current nursing, medical and surgical complement is adequate to meet the need in respect of all hospitals in the greater Dublin area; his plans for improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23179/02]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
194
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the extent to which adequate nursing, surgical and medical staff are currently available in respect of all hospitals and health boards throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23180/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.
The agreement of staffing levels in the health services is a matter for the health boards in the first instance who negotiate posts with the Department through the service planning process. The number of surgical, medical and nursing staff has risen significantly over the past few years. The total number of non-consultant hospital doctors increased from 2,775 in 1999 to 3,908 in 2002, a 41% increase in four years.
The corresponding increase in the greater Dublin area, under the Eastern Regional Health Authority, was from 1,377 in 1999 to 1,886 in 2002, a raise of 37%. The current number of hospital consultants stands at 1,698, a 22% increase on the 1999 figure of 1,388, while the corresponding percentage increase in the ERHA is 19%. This 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 initiated a number of measures to estimate the number of doctors and nurses required by our hospital service over the next decade and beyond. In relation to the numbers of hospital doctors the Deputy will be aware that I established a national task force on medical staffing earlier this year. The task force is, among other issues, considering the proposed development of a consultant provided public hospital service and quantifying the resource and cost implications involved. It is also addressing the reduction in working hours for non-consultant hospital doctors arising from the EU directive on working time and the medical education and training requirements of our hospital medical workforce. The task force will also address the associated medical staffing needs of the hospital system. It will consider the medical education and training requirements arising from any changes to the current model of delivering services.
With regard to the level of nursing vacancies, the quarterly health service employers agency national survey shows the following number of vacancies at quarterly intervals since January 2001:
|
January 2001
|
April 2001
|
July 2001
|
October 2001
|
January 2002
|
April 2002
|
|
Number of vacancies
|
1,314
|
1,316
|
1,252
|
1,322
|
1,089
|
1,047
|
This table shows that the number of vacancies has decreased by 267 since January 2001. This represents a 20.3% reduction in vacancies. The vacancy rate, at 3% of total nurses, is very low. Some level of vacancies is to be expected given that there will be retirements and movements in and out of the system on an ongoing basis.
The professional development of nursing and midwifery are a priority for my Department. A significant number of recruitment and retention initiatives have been introduced in recent years. Chief among these initiatives are the establishment of the commission on nursing and ongoing implementation of its recommendations; introduction of a new nursing degree programme, supported by substantial capital and revenue funding; an increase of 58% in the number of student nurse places since 1999 to a total of 1,640 per annum at present; provision of financial supports for nurses and midwives seeking to develop their skills and careers through part-time degrees and specialist nursing courses; over 800 places are available on specialist nursing courses, including accident and emergency, coronary care, oncology; establishment of the national council for the professional development of nursing and midwifery, whose role it is to provide for the development of the profession; introduction of a career path in clinical specialism and the creation of 1,400 clinical specialist posts; establishment of nursing and midwifery planning and development units in health boards and the ERHA; recruitment of an additional 5,788 nurses since 1998, representing a 19% increase in the total number of nurses employed in the public health service; a new grade of senior staff nurse was introduced; and the number of promotional outlets for nurses has been increased substantially.
I am satisfied that the range of measures outlined which I have taken in recent years, as evidenced by the figures quoted, are having the desired effect on recruitment and retention of nurses. I am confident that the continuing application of these measures will provide the health service with quality nurses and midwives going into the future.
In relation to other staff, the introduction of integrated workforce planning on a national basis in the health service is a priority under the health strategy. Under action 100 of the strategy my Department will lead the development of an integrated system of workforce planning. We will work closely with the health services skills group, established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, to help identify ways of meeting the workforce requirements of the health system.
Integrated workforce planning will build on existing initiatives and available data regarding workforce needs. It is aimed at anticipating the number and type of staff required to provide a quality health service.
It is intended that the process will align workforce planning with strategic objectives and the service planning process undertaken in health boards; promote the use of skill mix, facilitating those in support roles to upgrade their skills and enabling specialists to focus on core functions; and involve integration with education, training and professional bodies in order to ensure that numbers of training places match the demand for skills within the health sector.
