Written Answers. - Psychological Service.
Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:
338
Mr. McCormack
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his proposals to implement the findings of the joint review of psychological services which was published in March 2002; if the findings of this report will be implemented; when this will happen; if his attention has been drawn to the staff shortages which are seriously impacting on service delivery in the Western Health Board area, to the fact that many vulnerable families are not receiving an adequate range of service, that children entrusted to the Western Health Board care are not receiving adequate psychological services and that this will result in medium and long-term serious defects in the services due to the fact that a lack of services leads to long-term health problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16462/03]
Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:
339
Mr. McCormack
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he intends to honour the Government's commitment to implement the joint review group on psychological services' recommendations, particularly the commitment to bring the number of training places up to 50 per year, the establishment of director posts in each health board area, the establishment of principal posts in each community care area and a significant reduction in the number of vacancies in the psychological services in the medium term.
[16463/03]
Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:
340
Mr. McCormack
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 19 out of the 64 posts in the psychological services in the Western Health Board area are vacant and that there is no one in training for psychological services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16464/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together.
Following the publication of the report of the Joint Review Group on Psychological Services in the Health Services in March 2002, 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 post-graduate training places in clinical psychology. This has resulted in a threefold increase from end 1999 to end 2002, from 26 to 84, in the number of trainee clinical psychologists employed in the health services. At present, there are about 105 clinical psychologists undertaking post-graduate training in the State. More than 60 students are enrolled on the Psychological Society of Ireland's clinical psychologist post-graduate training diploma, 24 are enrolled on the doctoral programme in clinical psychology at TCD, with 12 in first year and 12 in second year and 19 are enrolled on the doctoral programme in clinical psychology at UCD, with ten in second year and nine in third year. It is understood that both the National University of Ireland, Galway and the University of Limerick have plans to introduce doctoral programmes in clinical psychology in 2003 with an intake of a further 20 students in total. These developments, 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 as detailed in 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 post-graduate 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 nation-wide, the Deputy may wish to note the significant increase, in excess of 40% – an increase of 125 from 291 to 416 – 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. The number of fully qualified psychologists employed in the Western Health Board area increased by 27% from 41 at the end of 1999 to 52 at the end of 2002.
Responsibility for the provision of psychology services and human resource planning, including the monitoring and filling of psychologist posts, 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. The chief executive officer of the Western Health Board has this responsibility in the Western Health Board area and my Department has therefore asked her to investigate the matter regarding staff shortages and vacancies raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.
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.
