Written Answers. - Mental Health Services.
Paul McGrath
Question:
146
Mr. P. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if his attention has been drawn to he fact that there are vacancies for ten psychologists in the Midland Health Board; if his attention has been further been drawn to the resulting curtailment of services and the effect this is having on vulnerable families in the Midland Health Board area, and the measures which have been taken to remedy this unsatisfactory situation.
[12467/03]
Responsibility for human resource planning, including the monitoring and filling of vacant psychologist posts, in the midland region rests with the chief executive officer, chief executive officer, of the Midland Health Board. The chief executive officer, in managing the workforce in his region, is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matters raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.
Paul McGrath
Question:
147
Mr. P. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
in the context of the review of psychologist career structures report which was published in March 2002 the progress made to implement the recommendations; the steps he intends to take to bring the number of training places up to 50 per year; the establishment of director posts in each health board; the establishment of principal posts in each health board; a significant reduction in the number of vacancies in the psychological services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12468/03]
Following the publication of the report of the joint review group on psychological services in the health services in March 2002, a major priority for my Department was to promote an integrated and co-ordinated approach by the health boards to its implementation over time. This applied in particular to the major recommendations of the report relating to the organisation and management of psychology services, entailing very substantial increases in the number of principal and director level psychologist posts.
Given the key role of the Health Boards Executive in fostering collective working and progressing organisational change and development in the health service, my Department secured the agreement of the executive to work with the directors of human resources in the health boards towards the implementation of the recommendations of the report. The present position is that the directors of human resources are in the process of individually considering the recommendations contained in the report and how their boards might propose to proceed with the implementation process in due course. This work is being undertaken in light of service imperatives, funding priorities and the budget for 2003 announcement on public service numbers.
In this context, it is important to bear in mind that the overall budgetary and economic position in 2003 has had important implications for all aspects of public spending, and this is reflected in the Estimates and budget adopted by Government for 2003. Given these constraints, my Department, together with the directors of human resources in the health boards, is prioritising support for the implementation of a key recommendation of the joint review report relating to human resource planning through the provision of a substantial number of additional postgraduate training places in clinical psychology. This has resulted in a threefold increase, from 26 at the end of 1999 to 83 at the end of 2002, in the number of trainee clinical psychologists employed in the health services. This development in enhancing graduate output will help maintain an improved balance between demand and supply in human resource and service provision.
My Department remains committed to working on an ongoing basis, with health agencies, educational providers and the education authorities to ensure adequate provision of training places in clinical psychology consistent with the medium-term human resource requirements of the health services as detailed in the joint review group's report and the important recommendations on investment in training and education detailed in the action plan for people management published in November 2002.
A particular priority is to secure the best return in terms of graduate output on the very significant financial resources being invested in the health services to support postgraduate clinical psychology training. Consequently, my Department, together with the health boards' directors of human resources, is examining the current model for postgraduate psychology training with the objective of supporting training provision on a planned and sustainable medium-term basis.
With regard to the issue of vacancies, the Deputy may wish to note the significant increase in excess of 40% – an increase of 121 to 412 – over the three years to the end of 2002 in the numbers of fully qualified psychologists working in the health service which has contributed to a significant increase in the volume of psychological services provided.
Responsibility for human resource planning, including the filling of vacant psychologist posts in each health board region, rests with the chief executive officer of each board. Each chief executive officer in managing the workforce in his-her region is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling.
In addition to measures to increase the supply of psychologists through the implementation of the recommendations of the joint review report, it should be recognised that other efforts have been undertaken to improve staffing levels in the psychological services, both at local and national level. Relevant developments include the recruitment of psychologists from overseas by the health boards, the introduction of a fast track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals, the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications and the devolution of responsibility for recruitment of basic grade psychologist posts to health boards from the Local Appointments Commission. Ongoing pay enhancements through the implementation of the recommendations of the public service benchmarking body will make a further contribution to reducing current vacancy levels by increasing the attractiveness of employment as a clinical psychologist in the health services.
