Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 21 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 6

Written Answers. - Health Board Staff.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

202 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of administrative positions created in each of the health boards in the past four years; the extent to which this number compares with the number of surgical, medical or care staff positions created in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23188/02]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

203 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of medical, nursing or other front line posts created in the health services in the past four years; the number of administrative posts in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23189/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together.

Employment levels for each grade category in the health service, as requested by the Deputy, are as set out in the following table A. Details of the grade category breakdown for each health board are shown in table B.

Regarding staff categorised as management-administrative in October 2001, following a request from my Department the health boards carried out a comprehensive analysis of the primary roles and functions of these personnel. The results of the exercise as applied to management/administrative staff in the health boards are set out in table C. The Deputy may wish to note that 64% of these employees provide direct patient services as, for example, outpatient-A&E-admissions staff, consultants, clinicians and nurse manager's secretaries, medical records personnel and telephonists.

Table A

Total Health Service Staffing 1997-2001

Grade Category	1997	2001	Increase1997-2001
General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	20,083	31,340	10,537
Health and Social Care Professionals	5,969	9,228	3,259
Management-administrative	8,844	14,714	5,870
Medical-Dental	4,976	6,285	1,309
Nursing	27,346	31,429	4,083
Total	67,939	92,996	25,057

Note 1: Client Care were generally previously classified as Support Services or Maintenance Technical.

Note 2: For comparative and clarity purposes staff in the grade categories of General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care have been merged.

Table B

Health Board Staffing 1997-2001

Health Board	Grade Category	1997	2001	Increase1997-2001
Eastern	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	2,975	4,331	1,356
	Health and Social Care Professionals	1,034	1,553	519
	Management-administrative	1,477	2,549	1,072
	Medical-Dental	587	717	130
	Nursing	3,325	3,586	261
	Total	9,398	12,737	3,339
Midland	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,135	1,699	564
	Health and Social Care Professionals	267	500	233
	Management-administrative	378	709	331
	Medical-Dental	211	257	46
	Nursing	1,333	1,645	312
	Total	3,325	4,810	1,485
Mid-Western	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,225	1,751	526
	Health and Social Care Professionals	341	496	155
	Management-administrative	567	1,012	445
	Medical-Dental	318	413	95
	Nursing	1,689	2,116	427
	Total	4,139	5,787	1,649
North-Eastern	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,178	2,389	1,191
	Health and Social Care Professionals	245	533	288
	Management-administrative	483	1,043	580
	Medical-Dental	280	399	119
	Nursing	1,415	2,156	741
	Total	3,582	6,501	2,919
North-Western	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,448	2,458	1,010
	Health and Social Care Professionals	334	554	220
	Management-administrative	624	1,210	586
	Medical-Dental	253	351	98
	Nursing	1,540	2,081	541
	Total	4,198	6,653	2,455
South-Eastern	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,704	2,849	1,145
	Health and Social Care Professionals	402	649	247
	Management-administrative	889	1,052	363
	Medical-Dental	393	539	146
	Nursing	2,457	2,927	470
	Total	5,845	8,017	2,372
Southern	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	2,106	2,891	785
	Health and Social Care Professionals	532	886	354
	Management-administrative	930	1,443	513
	Medical-Dental	553	698	145
	Nursing	3,106	3,895	589
	Total	7,227	9,614	2,387

Health Board	Grade Category	1997	2001	Increase1997-2001
Western	General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care	1,794	2,658	864
	Health and Social Care Professionals	473	795	322
	Management-administrative	781	1,342	581
	Medical-Dental	433	564	131
	Nursing	2,493	2,929	436
	Total	5,974	8,287	2,313

Note 1: Staff in the new grade categories of General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care were generally previously classified as Support Services or Maintenance Technical.

Note 2: For comparative and clarity purposes staff in the grade categories of General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care have been merged.

Table C

Apportionment of Health Board Management-Administrative Staff based on HR Directives analysis

HealthBoard	Direct Patient Services	Legislative and information requirements	Payroll etc	Human Resources Management (incl. Recruitment and Training)	Service Managers (Grade VIII upwards)	IT Staff	General Management Support	Total WTE 2001
	84%	5%	9%	5%	3%	3%	11%	100%
Eastern	1,632	127	229	127	76	76	280	2,549
Midland	154	35	64	36	21	21	78	709
Mid-Western	847	51	91	51	30	30	111	1,012
North-Eastern	687	52	94	52	31	31	115	1,043
North-Western	774	60	109	60	38	36	133	1,210
South-Eastern	574	53	95	53	32	32	116	1,052
Southern	921	72	130	72	43	43	159	1,445
Western	859	67	121	67	40	40	148	1,342
Total	6,630	518	932	518	311	311	1,140	10,360