Some health department staff have 'little or nothing to do'

SOME STAFF at the Department of Health have “little or nothing to do” while colleagues are overwhelmed with work, but management appears reluctant to deal with the problem, according to an unpublished report.

The report, seen by The Irish Times, describes a department frequently "under siege", that spends much time fighting fires ignited by repeated controversies. Staff morale is low and senior management and the rest of staff are "out of step".

High levels of sick leave in the department need to be addressed, the report prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach also notes. The report was compiled under the Organisational Review Programme (ORP), a public service modernisation initiative under the auspices of the Department of the Taoiseach.

The review criticises the “uneven” quality of leadership and says the department needs to communicate more effectively: “The department as a whole has had limited success in marshalling the vested interests in the health sector and also suffers from a negative media image.”

The department employs almost 500 people and has an annual budget of €500 million but hasn’t had direct involvement in the running of the health service since the HSE was established in 1995.

Its focus is supposed to be on policymaking. But the report says the frequent fire-fighting required to handle crises and the media deflects attention from this goal.

The report details staff criticisms of the amount of political work they do. Suggesting a more appropriate balance be struck in meeting the needs of different groups, it notes the “very significant resources” devoted to answering parliamentary questions, TDs’ representations and Oireachtas debates.

Staff perceive the department pays more attention to the Minister for Health, politicians and representative bodies than the public, it states. The disparity between who the department says are its customers and its actual behaviour is described as a source of “real frustration”.

“The confusion amongst staff as to the role of the department and the lack of clarity around who the departments customers are, coupled with the feeling of being constantly under fire are all factors contributing to the poor morale.”

Issues such as Hepatitis C, Leas Cross nursing home and the Monageer Dunne family tragedy have had a major impact on the department. “Taken together, they show a department that is frequently under siege . . . trying to cope with considerable external pressure.”

The report lauds the department’s policies for their role in reducing heart disease and cancer and extending life expectancy. There are some notable examples of leadership. But as a whole, senior management and staff are “out of step” on the management of goals and challenges.

It says the department tends to be “on the back foot” in terms of media and PR management and is not successful at articulating a vision or publicising achievements.

“A good deal of change has taken place in the department in the five years since the creation of the HSE, but the journey is not over and a lot more still needs to happen.”