ABOUT 100 nurses currently working on temporary contracts with the Health Service Executive (HSE) are among those who are expected to be let go as part of new moves to facilitate the appointment of new full-time personnel in high priority areas.
It is understood that among others that will be affected are 100 support grade personnel such as healthcare assistants, porters, caterers and 40 clerical and 20 allied-health professional staff.
All the temporary employees to be let go have a total service with the HSE of less than one year.
Trade unions said that they had been given assurances by the HSE yesterday that there would be no compulsory redundancies for permanent employees and that temporary employees, with more than 12 months service, would not have their contracts terminated under the new plan.
However unions also warned that many staff working on short-term contracts were carrying out very important roles in the health service.
The HSE said last night that it planned to restructure its workforce and to reduce the number of staff on short-term temporary contracts to allow for it to create 1,000 permanent posts in other areas. It said that as a result of the Government’s moratorium on recruitment in the public sector that it could not appoint new employees without reducing its existing staffing levels.
The Irish Times revealed yesterday that 1,000 staff on temporary contracts will be let go by the HSE in the weeks and months ahead to facilitate the expansion of priority areas. However, the HSE has not revealed the areas and the particular staff grades that will be affected by the job losses.
Informed sources said that about 100 nurses on temporary contracts in the HSE’s primary, community and continuing care sector would be let go as would the same number of support grade employees.
These figures are expected to increase.
In a statement the HSE said that it had told trade unions yesterday that it planned to roll out a series of new service developments and service improvements over the coming months which would involve the creation of 1,000 permanent posts.
However, the HSE said that given the Government’s embargo on recruitment and promotion and the requirement to comply with the employment ceiling allocated for health services, “delivering on these priority service developments will require a restructuring of the workforce and significant redeployment”.
“While current staffing levels will remain, it will be necessary to reduce the number of staff on short-time temporary contracts.However, in line with Government policy to maximise sustainable employment permanent positions will be created . . .” it said.