Bernard Allen
Ceist:123 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the long-term temporary consultant posts in each of the health board areas. [6438/00]
Written Answers. - Consultant Appointments.
Comhairle na nOspidéal is the statutory body with responsibility to regulate the number and type of consultant appointments in hospitals providing services under the Health Act, 1970. The following data are extracted from the recently published Comhairle na nOspidéal report entitled Consulting Staffing – 1 January 2000.
The consultant establishment at 1 January 2000 in the public sector was 1,440 comprising 1,250 permanent consultants in practice, 147 vacant approved posts which were in the process of being filled on a permanent basis, six posts under consideration by Comhairle na nOspidéal and 37 unprocessed posts. Consultant posts are classified as vacant by Comhairle na nOspidéal until an appointee takes up duty on a permanent basis. In most cases posts are filled in a temporary capacity pending the submission of an application for the replacement post by the employing authority and the making of a permanent appointment through the usual selection procedures. Of the 127 non-permanent consultant appointments approved by Comhairle na nOspidéal on 31 December 1999, 88 related to approved vacant permanent posts in the process of being filled, 21 were acting as locums for permanent consultants on leave, 18 were additional temporary appointments associated mainly with the waiting list initiative. The data supplied are for non-permanent consultant posts.
As at 31 December 1999, there were 127 non-permanent consultant appointments approved by Comhairle na nOspidéal as follows:
|
Health Board Area |
No. |
|
ERHA (East Coast Area) |
5 |
|
EHRA (Northern Area) |
19 |
|
EHRA (Southern-Western Area) |
19 |
|
MWHB |
16 |
|
MHB |
9 |
|
NEHB |
14 |
|
NWHB |
1 |
|
SEHB |
15 |
|
SHB |
12 |
|
WHB |
17 |
|
Total |
127 |