Employment information for the health service is collected by my Department on the basis of the grade of staff and the employing agency, rather than in the programme format requested by the Deputy. I would also point out that many health service workers provide services to several distinct categories of patient and client. Employment growth in the main grade categories of health service staff in the health board, voluntary hospital and intellectual disability sectors respectively is, therefore, set out in the table following for the period between end-1997 and end-2003. It is expected that data in respect of the end-2004 position will be available in March 2005. Caution should be exercised in comparing employment growth between grade categories, owing to some changes in their composition over the period.
The Deputy may wish to note that responsibility for human resource planning in each health board rests at present with the chief executive officer, CEO, of the relevant health board-authority. This will change with the establishment of the Health Service Executive. Each CEO, in managing the workforce in their 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 level.
As far as the balance between front line and administrative staff is concerned, as illustrated in the table, almost two thirds of health services personnel formally classified as "management-administrative" are involved in direct service provision to the public. In fact it is estimated that 6% of health services personnel are employed in a purely administrative capacity. These staff work in areas that are critical to the effective running of the health services such as payroll, accounts, financial and human resource management. The report of the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Service, chaired by Professor Niamh Brennan, concluded that there was no evidence to support the perception that administrative staff, rather than those providing a direct patient service, have disproportionately absorbed additional resources allocated to the health service over recent years. Indeed, the report stated that of the order of ten out of every 11 additional employees recruited since 1997 are engaged in duties of direct services to patients and the public.
|
Health Service Employment (excluding Home Helps)
|
31/12/1997
|
31/12/2003
|
Change end-1997 to end-2003
|
|
Health Boards/Authority
|
|
|
|
|
Medical/Dental
|
3,029
|
4,348
|
1,319
|
|
Nursing
|
17,358
|
23,028
|
5,670
|
|
Health and Social Care Professionals
|
3,627
|
7,848
|
4,222
|
|
General Support Staff and Other Patient and Client Care
|
13,477
|
18,220
|
4,743
|
|
Management/Administrative — Direct Patient Services
|
3,782
|
7,186
|
3,403
|
|
Management/Administrative — Other
|
2,127
|
4,042
|
1,914
|
|
Total
|
43,401
|
64,672
|
21,271
|
|
Voluntary Hospitals
|
|
|
|
|
Medical/Dental
|
1,898
|
2,354
|
456
|
|
Nursing
|
7,822
|
8,218
|
396
|
|
Health and Social Care Professionals
|
1,978
|
2,737
|
759
|
|
General Support Staff and other Patient and Client
Care
|
4,017
|
4,781
|
763
|
|
Management/Administrative — Direct
Patient Services
|
1,568
|
2,296
|
729
|
|
Management/Administrative
— Other
|
882
|
1,292
|
410
|
|
Total
|
18,165
|
21,678
|
3,512
|
|
Intellectual Disability Homes
|
|
|
|
|
Medical/Dental
|
49
|
90
|
42
|
|
Nursing
|
2,166
|
2,520
|
354
|
|
Health and Social Care
Professionals
|
364
|
2,104
|
1,739
|
|
General Support Staff and
Other Patient and Client Care
|
3,211
|
4,484
|
1,273
|
|
Management/Administrative — Direct Patient Services
|
310
|
609
|
298
|
|
Management/Administrative — Other
|
175
|
342
|
168
|
|
Total
|
6,275
|
10,149
|
3,874
|
Source: Department of Health and Children Personnel Census.
