Reid defends HSE recruitment plans over claims targets are ‘fake’ and ‘batsh*t’

The chief executive of the Health Service Executive has defended the organisation’s recruitment plans in the wake of claims from within the Department of Health that targets were “fake” and “batsh*t”.

Paul Reid told the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee he believed that forecasting 5,500 extra staff for the health service — as opposed to the 10,000 provided for in the HSE’s budget for 2022 — was the “right process”.

He said it was “best to say up front” at the start of the year how many staff were likely to be hired due to the “competitive” market but that the HSE was still striving to exceed the 5,500 figure.

There was controversy earlier this year after a whistleblower sent a dossier of disclosures to the PAC that included an account of a meeting of Department of Health officials in January where it was claimed that the HSE had “fake targets” for hiring staff. The meeting was recorded without the knowledge of the officials involved. In another document, an official said “recruitment targets were batsh*t”.

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Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy asked Mr Reid about the claims and asked him if he understood “why people would see those as fake targets”.

Mr Reid said: “We certainly don’t see them as that. We see them as very real commitments we want to live up to.”

He said there was a “really competitive market nationally and internationally”, that the HSE sought to forecast how many staff could be recruited, and this was determined to be about 5,500.

“We would like to achieve the 10,000 mark but we’re being reflective of what’s happening in the market,” he added.

The PAC was told that money was not allocated to services until they confirmed a post had been recruited and if a post was not filled, the funding would be available the following year.

Ms Murphy asked Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt if he was concerned about the substance of what was said during the recorded meeting.

He said he was not, that it was a “robust discussion” and suggested that multiyear targets for recruitment were “probably a better approach”.

Long waits

Separately, Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley raised concern at new figures showing that people over 75 were waiting an average of almost 14 hours to be admitted to hospital emergency departments last month.

He said it was “intolerable” and urged Mr Reid to “knock heads together”.

Mr Reid put the situation down to the Covid-19 pandemic and more people over the age of 75 presenting to hospitals. He said the HSE was continuing to invest in community services in a bid to alleviate pressure on hospitals.

Independent TD Verona Murphy said that €21 billion was being invested in the health service but suggested “we’re getting a third-world service”. She raised concern about the delivery of home care supports and mental health services, particularly for children

She said Mr Watt was on a “huge salary” and she challenged him on what specific actions he had taken “to ensure that that vast allocation of funds results in delivery of a first-world health service”.

Mr Watt spoke of how the Government and HSE were seeking to implement Sláintecare, the cross-party plan to reform the health service.

Ms Murphy repeatedly pressed Mr Watt on what he had done and at one point PAC chairman Mr Stanley asked her to “treat the witnesses with respect”.

Mr Watt said the role of the department and HSE was to improve services and “that’s what we’re trying to do”. He added: “Very significant improvements in services are taking place this year in relation to waiting lists.”

Mr Reid disagreed that Ireland had a third-world health service, saying “sometimes tired old cliches are not right” and such claims are not borne out in areas such as life expectancy and cancer care.

Elsewhere, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD announced the approval of the HSE’s Capital Plan for 2022. Funding of more than €1 billion is available and projects due to be progressed this year include elective care centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway as well as investment in primary and community care settings.