HSE letter claims extra barriers to recruitment

THE DEPARTMENT of Finance is placing additional barriers to the recruitment of frontline staff by the Health Service Executive (HSE) even before the budget estimates process is complete, it has emerged.

Following a meeting this month between the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance, representatives from both departments questioned the efficacy of the current recruitment moratorium in the health service.

In a subsequent letter to committees charged with seeking derogations from the moratorium, the HSE’s central monitoring unit said the requests from the Government departments “appear to be becoming more demanding over time”.

It cited the senior post of director of nursing at one of the State’s voluntary hospitals as an example of the challenges facing the HSE in replacing staff.

Formerly known as the hospital matron, the director of nursing is a key post in the smooth running of a major hospital.

However, despite the request being signed off by the HSE’s National Hospitals Office in advance of the vacancy, including details of another post to be suppressed in line with recruitment requirements, the Department of Finance requested that two additional vacancies be squashed.

After a further delay, at which point the incumbent had retired, the Department of Finance indicated it now required answers to eight further questions before it could make a decision.

Among the specific queries were: “Has the hospital remained within its approved budget allocation for each of the past two years and is it expected to do so this year?” and “What impact will the non-filling of the clerical officer, grade IV, and laboratory aide posts mentioned have on compliance with the moratorium? [The three posts being suppressed by the hospital].”

Surprisingly, given the importance of nurses in providing front-line services to patients, the Department of Finance asked why the filling of the director of nursing post was not achieved by the “suppression of nursing posts to the equivalent or greater value?”

“The above case should assist you and your service colleagues in carrying out any such review and perhaps better inform our service colleagues as to the demands of the Department of Finance prior to the granting of any derogation from the moratorium,” the letter to HSE managers concluded.

The Irish Times understands that the tough stance of the Department of Finance has extended to the filling of jobs directly linked to the national swine flu campaign.

Sources said they were concerned the stranglehold on recruitment could affect patient safety.

With €3 billion in public service cuts required in the forthcoming budget, some €800 million is expected to be lopped off current health service funding.

The HSE has indicated the total shortfall in funding for 2010 will be almost €1.4 billion.

It has indicated that it can shed 3,500 posts next year, offering savings of €105 million, but has also told the Department of Health it would be difficult to reduce spending further without cutting services to patients.