THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has proposed introducing new restrictions on recruitment, reviewing contracts of temporary staff and reforming annual leave, sick leave and expenses arrangements for its 110,000 staff.
As part of a confidential cost-containment proposal document to be considered at a meeting with trade unions today, it has suggested that there should be greater provision to allow it to redeploy or reassign staff where necessary, including on an involuntary basis in some cases.
The HSE said it is to review contracts of temporary employees "for the purpose of cessation, where practicable".
It said its capacity to implement a number of recommendations arising from the State's industrial relations machinery "would be contingent on securing adequate funding from central government". It said it was to suspend financial support for staff undergoing academic study courses.
The HSE document said that in future, managers would be banned from filling approved vacancies until all options including redeployment and reassignment had been examined.
"Expressions of interest will be sought from eligible staff following which a decision will be conveyed concerning the most appropriate staff member to be redeployed or reassigned."
The document stated that an appropriate level of experience and skill mix will be maintained within each service location in order to facilitate ongoing delivery of appropriate and safe services.
However, it said the priority would be to maximise existing skills to meet business pressures.
"All staff who qualify under the skill-set criteria will be asked to redeploy or be reassigned on an involuntary basis," it said.
Under the proposals, the use of agency staff would be banned in administrative or corporate areas of the HSE, while elsewhere agency and overtime working would be allowed only in emergency situations. "Employees working part-time hours will be asked to increase their hours to offset the reduction in overtime/agency working," it said.
The proposal stated that healthcare assistants would replace nurses in settings where it was considered appropriate to do so.
"Managers will be required to assess their overall skill mix with a view to ensuring that resources are deployed in the most cost-efficient manner and having regard to multi-disciplinary working. Staff will be requested to co-operate with all redeployment requests to meet service provision," it added.
The document stated that talks to facilitate transfer of core functions as recommended by Government decisions were continuing with unions. However, it warned that "all staff in functions which are targeted for transfer will be required to transfer".
It proposed that all staff would be required to co-operate with arrangements to introduce extended hours for services over a longer day, in accordance with a new framework agreement.
The maximum number of uncertified sick leave days would be set at two days from next year. In future, claims for subsistence would only be considered on the basis of vouched expenses, it added. "A revised travel expenses schedule will be implemented for the HSE," it also said.
The HSE also said the granting of annual leave will be managed in a manner which does not result in any additional cost to the service.
"It will become compulsory for employees to maximise the taking of annual leave over the Christmas/New Year period," it stated.
The HSE has warned that it could face a potential €300 million deficit next year.
Further cutbacks are expected to be announced when its service plan for 2009 is published next week.