Smith calls for HSE recruitment cap to be scrapped

Labour has called on government parties to back their Dáil motion to end the cap on healthcare recruitment.

Labour’s health spokesperson Duncan Smith said that lifting the cap would create “safe staffing levels in our hospitals and community services to support patient care.”

The Fingal TD said that at present, under the HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy,  positions are “deliberately being left vacant and unfilled.”

He said the cap is “putting even more pressure on frontline staff, and undermining services.”

“Government parties can’t hide from the impact their policies are having on our frontline healthcare services. The HSE’s de-facto recruitment embargo is damaging to patient safety, undermining care, and impacting on efforts to retain staff,” he said.

He said that local clinical managers have been “stripped of autonomy” and can’t fill vacancies when a healthcare worker retires, changes job or takes maternity leave.

“Healthcare workers are being forced to do more with less, and safe patient care is not guaranteed,” he said.

Smith pointed to research carried out by the INMO, which has found that thousands of positions were abolished over the last two years under the last embargo, but nursing posts in cancer, palliative, paediatric, and rehab care are being left vacant.

“If you’re sick, you should get access to safe and timely care but over 700,000 people are on hospital waiting lists, and trolley numbers in our emergency departments remain too high.”

“Speaking to healthcare workers, it’s clear that they are extremely concerned about the weeks and months ahead. Each worker goes above and beyond for their patients but the Government simply is not valuing them.”

The HSE’s Pay and Numbers strategy, which was launched earlier this year, could see as many as 2,000 paid posts abolished nationwide.

“Labour believes that roles that are critical to patient safety should be filled; a comprehensive workforce planning strategy is needed to ensure that enough qualified staff are being trained and recruited and that we retain those we already have.”

Smith remarked “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can’t continue to ignore the concerns of healthcare workers and they must address core issues like staff safety and providing key worker housing, so no healthcare worker is priced out of living in the community they serve.”

“Ireland’s health infrastructure is struggling to meet demand, and that has to change; every day, people are seeing the impact of this first hand.”

“Understaffing in the health service is impacting the ability of staff to provide safe care. It’s putting patients at risk and it’s damaging our efforts to retain existing staff.

“Healthcare workers deserve better. I am calling on all TDs to support Labour’s motion next Wednesday in the Dáil. Together, we can build a healthcare system that works.”