Health services told to shed 2,000 jobs

The Department of Health has told the Health Service Executive (HSE) that up to 2,000 jobs will have to be shed from the health services around the State, writes Martin Wall

The Irish Times understands that the Department has suggested that these should be mainly managerial and administrative grades.

The Department has told the HSE, which took over responsibility for running services around the State six weeks ago, that the numbers currently employed are well above the official employment ceiling set down by the Government.

The HSE, in a statement to The Irish Times last night, confirmed that it was "assessing" the employment numbers with the Department of Health.

A spokeswoman said the figures involved in the discussions between the HSE and the Department were "estimates", and that the situation had developed historically. The issue would be addressed over a period of time without impacting on services for patients and clients.

Sources close to the Department of Health said the issue over staffing numbers had come to light in recent weeks following the amalgamation of health boards and health agencies into the HSE as part of the Government's healthcare reforms.

There are currently around 98,000 people employed in the health services.

The Department of Health has told the HSE that this is around 1.4 per cent above the ceiling for the health sector set out in a Government decision in December 2002.

Sources said that, depending on how the figures were calculated, this equated to around 2,000 posts.

Sources said the Department believed the over-run in staffing was primarily on the "non-clinical side".

It is understood that the Department of Health has told the HSE that every Government Department had to operate within its employment ceiling, and that the healthcare numbers would have to be brought back into line.

However, the Department is expected to insist that frontline medical and nursing posts should not be hit, and that patient services should remain unaffected. Informed sources said the Department had suggested strongly that the HSE should "concentrate on a review of administration".

Sources said it was the view of the Department that, with the amalgamation and unification of agencies and boards under the umbrella of the HSE, there should be scope to find job savings on the administrative side.

It is understood no timescale has been discussed between the HSE and the Department over bringing the staffing into line with the ceiling. It is almost certain that any job losses would be voluntary.

However, trade unions representing administrative staff in the health services have argued strongly against the concept that there were too many managers. The trade union IMPACT has claimed that 10 out of every 11 health workers recruited since 1997 were involved in providing services directly to patients and the public.

Staffing numbers in the health services have increased by around 44 per cent since 1997. Of the additional €900 million provided by the Government for the health services this year, over €500 million will go on pay.