While recruitment of staff is primarily a matter for individual employers, a number of manpower planning initiatives are under way. The question of the medical staffing in hospitals is being examined by the medical manpower forum at the moment and the forum is preparing an interim report which will be completed shortly.
In the course of the expert review group on certain allied health professions, employers acknowledged that there are recruitment difficulties with some of these professions. Officials of my Department have already met with many of the heads of these schools and are currently planning a manpower planning exercise to address these difficulties.
The National Social Work Qualifications Board has begun a manpower planning initiative in relation to social workers, the results of which are expected by the end of this year. This report will recommend on how best to address the current recruitment difficulties in social work, and these recommendations will be followed up by both my Department and the Department of Education and Science.