The Government has determined that, in line with its commitment to reduce the size of the public service, health sector employment numbers must be reduced to approximately 102,000 in 2012. The cumulative impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years represents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services. The priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost effective health system.
The most recent information available from the HSE indicates that, over the period from September 2011 to end-February 2012, some 3,700 health service staff will have retired from the health service. Of this total, approximately 1,500 persons have already retired during the four-month period to the end of December 2011, while the remainder have indicated that they will leave by the end of February 2012. It should be noted that these figures refer to the number of individuals rather than whole-time equivalents (WTE). It should also be noted that this data is subject to change in the event of additional applications being received or existing applications being withdrawn.
The health and personal social services that will be delivered by the HSE within its budget and anticipated staff complement are set out in the National Service Plan for 2012, which I approved on 13 January. It is clear that the cumulative impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years represents a significant challenge for the health system in delivering services. It increases the need for reform including greater flexibilities in work practices and rosters as well as redeployment. The Service Plan includes a commitment to addressing these issues within the context of the Public Service Agreement. It also commits the HSE to minimising the impact on services by fast tracking new, innovative and more efficient ways of using reducing financial and human resources. The Plan reflects the need to move to new models of care across all service areas which will treat patients at the lowest level of complexity and provide quality services at the least possible cost.
Other reform initiatives set out in the Plan include the development of proposals to protect the viability of community nursing units and to increase the intermediate care capacity for older people; a significant strengthening of primary care services; the enhancement of community mental health teams; a more tailored approach to disability services; and progression of the clinical care programmes. I intend to review the Service Plan once the full impact of the staff leaving at the end of the 29 February "grace period" is known. In advance of this, I have asked the HSE Board to submit as a matter of urgency its assessment of the likely impact of retirements to the end of February, to identify particular pressure points and to develop appropriate measures to deal with significant departures in a given service or area.
The HSE is currently finalising detailed service plans at regional level and these regional plans will take account of the effect of the current reduction in staff numbers.
