The government has been urged to lift the recruitment embargo on HSE workers.
First introduced as a temporary recession-era measure, unions and healthcare professionals have argued that there is no logical sense in keeping an embargo on HSE workers at a time when the healthcare service is in need of more staff.
A report by the Ombudsman for Children warned of the impact of missed developmental checks, and directly tied it to the lack of staff in the HSE system.
The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said there are “very real consequences of the HSE and Department of Health suppressing public health and community general nursing posts.”
Phil Ní Sheaghdha of the INMO said “the report compounds the INMO’s long-held view that public health needs of the population are not being met.”
“Words from the HSE acknowledging the contents of the report are not enough; they must back up their regret over missed care with the recruitment and further training of public health nurses.”
Ní Sheaghdha warned that shortfalls in the sector “cannot be overlooked.”
“Recruitment must become a top priority in the sector of nursing, with increased training places, increased supports for students in the sector, and focus on funded capacity. We need to see an increase in the number of PHN training places, as well as a significant increase in the supports for students training in the community.
“The current level of pressure on our members is unsustainable and will have knock-on effects throughout all facilities and all care sectors. Our members are doing everything in their power to ensure vital care and health checks in the community are not missed, and that the HSE’s prioritisation policies are adhered to. But the strain of keeping this all going is unsustainable, and the effects are being seen,” she said.
Labour TD Marie Sherlock dubbed the staffing shortage as “the elephant in the room.”
The Labour health spokesperson said, “for all the government’s talk about increased health staffing, the number of public health nurses has fallen under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil health ministers.”
Statistics from the Dublin Central TD showed that there are now 47 fewer public health nurses than five years ago.
“Figures released to my office show that 7 of the 20 integrated health areas have restricted some of their public health nursing services due to staffing shortages and demand. It is alarming that children in these areas and beyond are simply not getting the developmental checks they require. This report highlights that thousands of children across Ireland are affected,” she said.
The Labour TD said, “it should alarm us all, from both a safeguarding and a health perspective, that thousands of children, including many who are vulnerable or require early intervention, are not being seen for developmental checks.”
“We must also examine pathways into public health nursing for other nursing professionals. It makes no sense that, for example, paediatric nurses cannot access public health nursing training because they have not trained in general nursing. We need to look at how we can expand the workforce, bring a wider range of skills into the profession and retain staff,” she said.