Thomas P. Broughan
Question:63. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce new grades and professions into the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27790/18]
View answerThursday, 28 June 2018
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The public health service is comprised of many grades and professions who are engaged in a broad range of activities to ensure the delivery of quality, safe health services to the population. The introduction of new grades or professions is a complex matter, requiring careful consideration and planning, prior to any decisions being taken, particularly in relation to clinical roles.
In November 2017, I launched 'Working Together for Health', a National Strategic Framework for Health and Social Care Workforce Planning. The Framework proposes a consistent approach to strategic workforce planning along with the establishment of structures and governance arrangements that support and enable the application of this approach in the health sector.
Implementing this Framework is an ambitious multi-year undertaking, involving actions and activities at various levels of the system – both sectorally and cross-sectorally. Early actions to implement the Framework are currently taking place. These include the establishment of governance and oversight arrangements, the resourcing of workforce planning operations in the health sector and the identification of priority projects to test and evaluate the approach recommended in the Framework.