Conor Lenihan
Question:
547
Mr. C. Lenihan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the measures he proposes to take in reducing the level of administrative waste within the hospital sector; his timetable for such reductions; and the timeframe within which he hopes to achieve his targeted reductions.
[11462/04]
View answer
Conor Lenihan
Question:
548
Mr. C. Lenihan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of non-medical staff employed in the hospital services; and the way in which this compares to other European countries.
[11463/04]
View answer
Conor Lenihan
Question:
549
Mr. C. Lenihan
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the growth in the number of non-medical staff employed in hospitals here between the years 1990 and 2004; and the figures or breakdown for each year involved.
[11464/04]
View answer
I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 to 549, inclusive, together.
I understand that the Deputy is referring to the number of management and administrative staff employed in the health service generally and in the acute hospital sector in particular. The information requested by the Deputy on employment levels for particular categories of health service staff is set out in the following table. It is important to note that caution should be exercised in comparing growth in numbers employed over the period among the different grade categories, as changes in grade classifications have given rise to a lack of continuity in the data series.
As far as the question of administrative economy is concerned, the Deputy may wish to note that almost two-thirds, 64%, of health services personnel formally classified as "management/administrative" are involved in direct service provision to the public. In fact, it is estimated that only 6% of health services personnel are employed in a purely administrative capacity. It is important to emphasise that these administrative staff work in areas that are critical to the effective running of the health services such as payroll, accounts, financial and human resource management, including training, freedom of information and general management. In this regard the report of the commission on financial management and control systems in the health service, chaired by Professor Niamh Brennan, concluded that there was no evidence to support the perception that administrative staff, rather than those providing a direct patient service, have disproportionately absorbed additional resources allocated to the health service over recent years.
While my Department does not hold comparable employment information for other EU countries, recently published UK National Health Service data indicate that the number of staff employed in administrative grades is broadly in line with the Irish figures on a proportionate basis.
With regard to reductions in health service staffing, the Government decided in December 2002 that the contribution of the health service to the overall reduction in public sector employment should be limited to a total of 600 personnel in WTE terms in the period to end-2005 or 200 staff per annum, in view of the high proportion of health service personnel engaged in front line service delivery posts. Given that the health service accounts for in excess of 30% of overall public service employment, a pro rata application of the Government’s targeted reduction in public service employment of 5,000 would have required an aggregate reduction in health service employment of 1,728 staff in wholetime equivalent, WTE, terms.
Total Health Service employment end-1990 to end-2003
Grade Category
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
Increase 1990-2003
|
Management/ Administrative1 — Direct Patient Services2
|
4,433
|
4,534
|
4,647
|
4,849
|
5,090
|
5,269
|
5,449
|
5,896
|
6,320
|
7,066
|
8,244
|
9,810
|
10,460
|
10,511
|
6,078
|
Management/ Administrative1 — Other3
|
2,216
|
2,267
|
2,324
|
2,425
|
2,545
|
2,635
|
2,724
|
2,948
|
3,160
|
3,533
|
4,122
|
4,905
|
5,230
|
5,255
|
3,039
|
General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care
|
18,385
|
18,298
|
18,377
|
18,577
|
19,182
|
19,558
|
20,065
|
20,705
|
21,973
|
22,928
|
25,216
|
28,645
|
27,242
|
27,485
|
9,100
|
Health and Social Care Professionals
|
4,180
|
4,299
|
4,395
|
4,628
|
5,024
|
5,345
|
5,576
|
5,969
|
6,422
|
6,836
|
7,613
|
9,228
|
12,577
|
12,690
|
8,510
|
Medical/Dental
|
3,994
|
4,100
|
4,155
|
4,310
|
4,417
|
4,581
|
4,684
|
4,976
|
5,153
|
5,385
|
5,698
|
6,285
|
6,775
|
6,792
|
2,799
|
Nursing
|
24,574
|
25,118
|
25,771
|
26,220
|
26,839
|
27,267
|
27,170
|
27,346
|
26,611
|
27,044
|
29,177
|
31,429
|
33,395
|
33,766
|
9,192
|
Total
|
57,782
|
58,615
|
59,669
|
61,010
|
63,097
|
64,655
|
65,669
|
67,841
|
69,640
|
72,793
|
80,070
|
90,302
|
95,679
|
96,499
|
38,717
|
Source: Department of Health & Children Personnel Census (31 December)
Note 1: The breakdown of the Management/Administrative grade category into Direct Patient Services/Other is based on analysis undertaken by the Regional Health Board's Directors of Human Resources in October 2001 and has been applied retrospectively for comparative purposes.
Note 2: Management/Administrative —Direct Patient Services are staff who are of direct service to the public and include consultant’s secretaries, out-patient departmental personnel, medical records personnel, telephonists and other staff who are engaged in front-line duties.
Note 3: Management/Administrative —Other are staff in the following categories payroll, human resource management (including training), service managers, IT staff, general management support and legislative and information requirements.
Note 4: All figures are expressed in wholetime equivalents.
of which: Acute Hospital employment end-1990 to end-2003
Grade Category
|
1990
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
Increase 1990-2003
|
Management/ Administrative1 — Direct Patient Services2
|
1,757
|
1,856
|
1,926
|
2,023
|
2,157
|
2,223
|
2,287
|
2,523
|
2,870
|
3,205
|
3,541
|
4,280
|
4,502
|
4,631
|
2,874
|
Management/ Administrative1 — Other3
|
879
|
928
|
963
|
1,012
|
1,078
|
1,112
|
1,143
|
1,261
|
1,435
|
1,603
|
1,771
|
2,140
|
2,251
|
2,316
|
1,437
|
General Support Staff Other Patient and Client Care
|
6,568
|
6,596
|
6,708
|
6,764
|
6,989
|
7,061
|
7,137
|
7,514
|
8,102
|
8,318
|
8,979
|
9,979
|
10,080
|
10,140
|
3,572
|
Health and Social Care Professionals
|
2,344
|
2,406
|
2,483
|
2,573
|
2,729
|
2,785
|
2,926
|
3,143
|
3,533
|
3,825
|
4,141
|
4,764
|
5,127
|
5,172
|
2,827
|
Medical/Dental
|
2,678
|
2,742
|
2,811
|
2,886
|
2,978
|
3,089
|
3,165
|
3,450
|
3,784
|
3,989
|
4,252
|
4,677
|
5,061
|
5,076
|
2,398
|
Nursing
|
12,160
|
12,348
|
12,679
|
12,983
|
13,416
|
13,683
|
13,315
|
13,764
|
13,932
|
14,171
|
15,666
|
16,603
|
18,022
|
18,141
|
5,981
|
Total
|
26,386
|
26,876
|
27,570
|
28,241
|
29,347
|
29,954
|
29,973
|
31,654
|
33,657
|
35,111
|
38,350
|
42,443
|
45,044
|
45,475
|
19,090
|
Source: Department of Health & Children Personnel Census (31 December)
Note 1: The breakdown of the Management Administrative grade category into Direct patient Services/ Other is based on analysis undertaken by the Regional Health Board's Directors of Human Resources in October 2001 and has been applied retrospectively for comparative purposes.
Note 2: Management/ Administrative —Direct Patient Services are staff who are of direct service to the public and include Consultant’s Secretaries, Out-Patient Departmental Personnel, Medical Records Personnel, Telephonists and other staff who are engaged in front-line duties.
Note 3: Management/ Administrative —Other are staff in the following categories Payroll, Human Resource Management (including training), Service Managers, IT Staff, General Management Support and Legislative and Information Requirements.
Note 4: All figures are expressed in wholetime equivalents.