Seán Haughey
Ceist:311 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures he is taking to deal with the shortage of medical and nursing staff generally in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16684/01]
Written Answers. - Hospital Staff.
The Health Service Employers Agency undertook a survey of nursing vacancies at 31 January 2001. A copy of this survey will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
The number of nursing vacancies reported was 1,315. When account is taken of the service of agency nurses of 423 per day and overtime working equivalent to 592 nurses per day, the net vacancy situation pertaining at 31 January 2001 stands at 300. The gross number of vacancies reported for the Eastern Regional Health Authority region, excluding the learning disability sector, was 1,148.79.
The survey shows that a total of 4,226 nurses were recruited in the year ending 31 January 2001 and that a total of 2,954 resigned or retired in the same period. Accordingly, the recruitment of nurses continues to run strongly ahead of the numbers leaving with a net increase of 1,272 nurses in the system. The number of nursing vacancies existing nationally on 30 September 2000 had fallen by 5% by 31 January 2001.
A major new recruitment and retention initiative, costing in excess of £5 million, was launched by me on 29 November 2000 to address the current shortage of nurses and midwives. In particular a new scheme of flexible working arrangements for nurses and midwives in the public health service came into operation on 1 February. Under the scheme, individual nurses and midwives may apply to work between eight and 39 hours per week on a permanent part-time basis.
As part of my overall recruitment and reten tion strategy, I have introduced the following financial support for nurses and midwives undertaking post-registration educational courses: payment of fees to nurses and midwives undertaking part-time nursing and certain other undergraduate degree courses; improved scheme of financial support for student public health nurses; enhanced financial support package for student midwives and student paediatric nurses; payment of fees and enhanced salary to nurses and midwives undertaking courses in specialised areas of clinical practice; abolition of fees for "back-to-practice" courses and payment of salary to nurses and midwives undertaking such courses.
The ongoing recruitment of nurses from abroad is also impacting positively on the vacancy situation. A total of 1,224 working visas or work authorisations were issued to nurses from non-EU countries between June 2000 and April 2001. A number of hospitals in the Dublin area are reporting significant improvements in their position. For example, Beaumont Hospital, which at one stage last year was short 130 nurses, now has a full complement of nursing staff. The Mater Hospital is on target to reduce its vacancies to a low single figure by the end of this month.
In response to the current shortage of nurses, I increased the number of training places last year by 300, from 1,200 to 1,500. This year a further 40 additional places have been created. It is intended to maintain the annual intakes of nursing students at this level in order to ensure an adequate supply of nurses for our health service into the future.
In general there are no difficulties in filling vacancies for consultant posts. The most recent figures on the level of vacancies for non-consultant hospital doctors in the public hospital service indicate that approximately 1% of posts are currently vacant. Current indications do not suggest that there will be any substantial increase in the number of vacancies on 1 July this year. A national monitoring group has been established to keep the situation pertaining to NCHD vacancies under review.
This Department has been involved in a number of initiatives to improve recruitment and retention of NCHDs in the public health service. The Department, the Health Service Employers Agency and the Irish Medical Organisation have negotiated a substantial agreement for improved terms and conditions for NCHDs. Legislation was passed in 2000 which amended the medical practitioners act to allow for the temporary registration of doctors to be extended from five to seven years. A recruitment drive in India and Pakistan involving this Department, the faculty of anaesthetists, the Medical Council and the health boards took place last year to encourage doctors in those countries to come to Ireland for practical training. Over 50 doctors specialising in anaesthesia have taken up posts in Ireland as a result of this initiative.
These measures have been helpful in retaining NCHDs who are already in the health service and have also attracted more doctors to work in our hospitals. The report of the forum on medical manpower and the report on NCHD working hours have recently been considered by Government and published. The Government has noted their recommendations and decided to establish a national task force to quantify the resource implications and costs arising from both reports.