HSE extends recruitment freeze to all categories as Bernard Gloster admits 'difficulties'
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The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has blasted the Government and HSE for "recklessly compromising patient care" by extending the recruitment freeze to all categories of staff.
The IMO hit out at the "disastrous" freeze, which was brought in last month in an attempt to contain costs after a rise in staff numbers.
Having originally been brought in for managerial and administrative roles as well as home helps, doctors in training, and additional agency staff, the freeze has now been extended to all categories of staff, excluding consultant appointments and graduate nurses, doctors and midwives in training programmes.
CEO of the HSE Bernard Gloster wrote to staff in a memo on Friday morning confirming the news.
In the memo, seen by the , he said: "An enormous increase in demand for our services has and continues to be responded to, and new developments and improvements have been enabled. The workforce is at its highest since 2006. This is good news for the public and staff throughout the Country and reflects that an expanding health service is a very good thing.
Mr Gloster noted that there were to be "no further offers made or obligations entered into" and any offers that had been made but not formally accepted were to be withdrawn.
He continued: "I know this will create difficulties for many of you and the EMT will support service managers in the application of this circular in particular situations."
Mr Gloster was keen to emphasise that despite the hiring paise, there was "no reduction in ambition for the future" in the HSE, claiming that 2024 will bring an additional 2,268 workers to the force.
"This move is necessary only because we know now that by year end we will have reached our 2023 ambitions for recruitment." he concluded.
In response, the IMO said that they had already informed the HSE of the "serious consequences" of the freeze for doctors.
They said: "Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) will be forced to work hours that are unsafe, illegal and in breach of both the NCHD Contract and legislation on safe working hours,
The HSE has for some years now been recruiting doctors from abroad who are providing vital work in keeping our health services working, yet with this freeze there is no certainty that those contracts will be renewed.
Rachel McNamara, Chair of the IMO (NCHD) Committee, said: "It speaks volumes of the HSE’s attitude to patients and doctors that outrageous decisions are not just acceptable to them, but doubled down on. The recruitment freeze last month was a huge mistake and we have told them this.
"Irish doctors are being approached daily by health systems in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK who are desperately trying to encourage them to work in systems that will value, support and respect them.
"The response from the HSE and Government is the polar opposite.
"NCHDs cannot do any more, they are already working excessive hours, under consistent and sustained pressure to plug gaps in the system while at the same time trying to train, study and sit exams. It’s incomprehensible that the HSE expects them to do more."
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said the freeze would "lead to a further deterioration in the delivery of mental health services across the country."
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes, said: "Around the country we are witnessing the worrying development where the staffing situation in our mental health services is so serious that whereas previously services would be curtailed because of staffing shortages, the HSE is now closing beds completely.
“We now need specific proposals from the HSE Chief Executive Officer Bernard Gloster, and Minister Stephen Donnelly on how they propose to maintain mental health services and meet the growing demand for expanded and new services with a depleted workforce and no prospects of addressing staffing vacancies throughout the mental health services. “
Meanwhile, the Staff Panel group of unions of the National Joint Council in the Irish Health Service have said they were not consulted on the extension of the embargo - claiming this a breach of the requirement for "proper consultation with the unions"
The Staff Panel also stated that the effect of this embargo and the freezing of appointments will be to encourage healthcare staff to seek employment abroad.
The group of unions has today requested an urgent meeting with the HSE but state that the HSE has declined to meet with them on this matter.
INMO Director of Industrial Relations Albert Murphy said: "This is playing into the hands of other countries such as the UK and Australia who will be only too delighted to offer full time permanent secure jobs to nurses and other healthcare professionals”
Kevin Figgis, SIPTU Health Division said: "This decision will cripple departments as they struggle to prepare for the busy winter period. Our members are already carrying deficits due to existing vacancies and to have recruitment come to a sudden stop, without any notice, will render many services unable to meet the growing demand for service over the coming weeks.”