Written Answers. - Psychological Service.
John Deasy
Ceist:
334
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the reason the recommendations of the joint review of psychologist career structures published in March 2002 have not been implemented; the steps he has taken to ensure the establishment of the director and principal posts in each community area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13632/03]
John Deasy
Ceist:
335
Mr. Deasy
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the efforts his Department is making to ensure that a target of 50 training places for clinical psychologists are provided on an annual basis; if he will give details of the vacancies that exist for the clinical psychologists in each health board area; the steps which are being taken by his Department to fill these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[13633/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together.
Following the report of the joint review group on psychological services in the health services, a major priority for my Department was to promote an integrated and co-ordinated approach by the health boards to its implementation over time. This applied in particular to the major recommendations of the report relating to the organisation and management of psychology services, entailing very substantial increases in the number of principal and director level psychologist posts.
Given the key role of the Health Boards Executive in fostering collective working and progressing organisational change and development in the health service, my Department secured the agreement of the executive to work with the directors of human resources in the health boards towards the implementation of the recommendations of the report. The present position is that the directors of human resources are in the process of individually considering the recommendations contained in the report and how their boards might propose to proceed with the implementation process in due course. This work is being undertaken in light of: service imperatives; funding priorities; and the budget 2003 announcement on public service numbers. In this context, it is important to bear in mind that the overall budgetary and economic position in 2003 has had important implications for all aspects of public spending, and this is reflected in the Estimates and budget adopted by Government for 2003.
Given these constraints my Department, together with the directors of human resources in the health boards, is prioritising support for the implementation of a key recommendation of the joint review report relating to human resource planning through the provision of a substantial number of additional postgraduate training places in clinical psychology. This has resulted in a threefold increase from end-1999 to end-2002, from 26 to 83, in the number of trainee clinical psychologists employed in the health services. This development, in enhancing graduate output, will help maintain an improved balance between demand and supply in human resource and service provision.
My Department remains committed to working on an ongoing basis with health agencies, educational providers and the education authorities to ensure adequate provision of training places in clinical psychology, consistent with the medium-term human resource requirements of the health services and the important recommendations on investment in training and education detailed in the action plan for people management published in November 2002.
A particular priority is to secure the best return, in terms of graduate output, on the very significant financial resources currently being invested in the health services to support postgraduate clinical psychology training. Consequently, my Department, together with the health boards' directors of human resources, is currently examining the current model for postgraduate psychology training, with the objective of supporting training provision on a planned and sustainable medium-term basis.
With regard to the issue of vacancies, the Deputy may wish to note the significant increase, in excess of 40%, an addition of 121 to 412, over the three years to end-2002 in the numbers of fully qualified psychologists working in the health service which has contributed to a significant increase in the volume of psychological services provided.
In addition to measures to increase the supply of psychologists through the implementation of the recommendations of the joint review report, it should be recognised that other efforts have been undertaken to improve staffing levels in the psychological services, both at local and national level. Relevant developments include the recruitment of psychologists from overseas by the health boards, the introduction of a fast track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals, the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications and the devolution of responsibility for recruitment of basic grade psychologist posts to health boards from the Local Appointments Commission. Ongoing pay enhancements through the implementation of the recommendations of the public service benchmarking body will make a further contribution to reducing current vacancy levels by increasing the attractiveness of employment as a clinical psychologist in the health services.
Responsibility for human resource planning, including the filling of vacant psychologist posts in each health board region, rests with the chief executive officer of each board. Each chief executive officer in managing the workforce in his/her region is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling. My Department has requested information from the chief executive officers of the health boards and the regional chief executive officer on the number of vacancies that exist for clinical psychologists and this information will be sent to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
