HSE managers to take industrial action on Friday over recruitment freeze

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has put in place a freeze on filling management and administration posts across the health service in its latest effort to curb overspending.

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster has told senior executives all applications for posts at all grades of management and administration are being paused, except where a candidate already has a contractual obligation.

Fórsa, representing about 12,000 clerical and administrative workers in the health service, responded by bringing forward the start of previously-threatened industrial action to Friday.

In his memo to senior staff, Mr Gloster said the freeze is a temporary measure to bring about greater controls and ensure alignment with the staffing levels set in the 2023 HSE service plan.

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Since the end of 2019, the number of management and administration posts has increased by more than 31 per cent, or almost 6,000 staff, he said.

Speaking at the Dáil public accounts committee, Mr Gloster warned the industrial action will be “highly disruptive” to the administration of the health service, and highlighted its potential impact on data provision, answering parliamentary questions and planning for the new regional health bodies.

Ashley Connolly, Fórsa’s national secretary for health, said the imposition of the freeze while talks were ongoing at the Workplace Relations Commission was unacceptable.

“It is unacceptable to Fórsa that our members working across management and administration grades in the HSE and section 38 organisations are being targeted for a recruitment moratorium as set out in the memorandum,” Ms Connolly said.

The union said members will not undertake tasks or responsibilities associated with any vacant post, or duties linked to a higher grade.

A significant number of staff signing the new public-only consultant contract will earn over €300,000 a year, Mr Gloster told the committee.

As a result, the current definition of a “high earner” in the health service - currently, those earning over €300,000 a year - will have to be changed, he said.

“The new consultant contract will mean that a significant number of additional employees will be above that figure when all dimensions of that contract are factored in.”

However, improvements are needed in the control of high earnings and the consistency of approach across the health service.

“Despite contractual entitlement and legally correct application of terms, I do not accept that we can continue with a position where eight staff earn above €500,000 (last year), in one case reaching above €700,000 and the highest above €900,000.”

The additional payments predominantly relate to callouts, he said.

The HSE wrote off €33 million for out-of-date Covid-19 vaccines, and €60 million for vaccines with no further use due to changes in health guidance and excess of supply over demand, Mr Gloster told the committee.

It also spent €1.7 million last year on storing obsolescent personal protective equipment (PPE).

Chief financial officer Stephen Mulvany said the ultimate spend on storing and disposing obsolescent PPE could reach €10 million. The disposal of hand-gel in particular was complicated, he said, because it contained alcohol.