HSE claims cutbacks 'don't affect care'

HSE WEST has said that patient care will not be affected by proposed spending cutbacks of €1 million a month. The cuts, which are part of nationwide "efficiencies", may have a greater impact west of the Shannon due to geographical realities, according to staff.

A directive imposing a ban on all "non-clinical" travel was issued by the HSE when HSE West was found to be €4.2 million over budget for the first four months of the year. "People are being expected to deliver a service and yet they are being told that they cannot travel to do so," according to a spokesman for the trade union Impact.

It is understood that staff have been told that all travel to meetings must stop, and short-distance journeys will require prior permission from managers, who in turn must seek senior approval.

It is understood that staff have been told that "tele-conferencing" could replace physical participation in meetings, and journeys undertaken by community mental health nursing staff are to be cut by 20 per cent.

Impact maintains that reductions in visits by nursing staff to group homes and residential centres will have a severe impact on delivery of health services. The issue has been referred to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), and Impact and the HSE have agreed to discussions on particular issues under the aegis of the commission.

The HSE has said that it was agreed that Impact would partially cease its current industrial action, and HSE and health employers would give a commitment that no Impact member would suffer loss of employment or worsening of terms and conditions over the four-week period from July 30th.

"The talks to date have been positive and constructive," Sean McGrath, HSE director of human resources, said last week. "The HSE welcomes the opportunity now afforded to both parties by this LRC process, and we remain committed to resolving all of the outstanding issues. It is in all our interests to resolve them to allow us to continue developing and improving our health service which is obviously and clearly our overall goal."

While efforts were being made to achieve efficiencies in "back office activities", staff were still being employed and services were being developed, Mr McGrath said.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times