Emer Higgins
Question:1383. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to provide further details on the current status of the HSE recruitment freeze; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14442/24]
View answerTuesday, 9 April 2024
Questions (1383)
Written answers
The most recent information on the Recruitment Pause is up to the end of February 2024. I can confirm as of February 2024 there are 28,155 more staff working in our health service than there were at the beginning of 2020. That’s a 23% increase, meaning that for every 5 people working in the health service in 2020, we now have 6.
The 28,155 increase includes 9,340 nurses and midwives; 4,194 health and social care professionals; and 2,935 doctors and dentists.
We have seen consistent growth in the workforce each year since 2020, with record growth. The workforce growth in 2023 was the highest it has even been since the foundation of the HSE.
In November 2023 the HSE CEO announced a pause on all recruitment with the exception of Consultants, Graduate Nurses and Doctors in formal training programmes.
This recruitment pause put in place was part of a suite of control measures, including an instruction to reduce expenditure on agency staff and management consultants across the HSE. The reality is that the HSE had already exceeded its 2023 funded workforce targets, which was neither affordable nor sustainable. As of the end of February 2024, there were 147,968 staff working in our health service.
The HSE was funded to recruit just over an additional 6,000 staff in 2023, but actually hired 8,239, meaning they were over by more than 2,000 staff than they were funded for.
While the increase in our workforce has been incredibly positive and has enabled significant improvements in service delivery and reductions in waiting times for patients, it is important that the HSE operate within budgeted levels and that prudent controls are in place to ensure the workforce growth is managed in an affordable and sustainable manner.
Funding for an additional 2,268 staff has been secured by the Minister for Health for 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan, approved and published on the 14th February 2024. The HSE are currently finalising their Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024. In additional the HSE has funding for approximately an additional 707 in the disability area.
We await the finalisation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts, including those returning to work following a career break.