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HSE recruitment freeze extended for almost all categories

HSE chief Bernard Gloster said the service is on course to “exceed its funded workforce target”.

THE HEALTH SERVICE Executive has extended its hiring freeze to all areas, with only a few exceptions, according to a memo seen by The Journal

In a memo written to senior managers, HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said the service is on course to “exceed its funded workforce target” and that no further contracts are to be entered into. 

Exceptions include consultants and doctors in training, as well as graduate nurses and midwives.

“We have arrived at the point where we need to address the fact that we are on course to exceed our 2023 funded workforce target, and this is neither affordable or sustainable,” the memo said.

“There are to be no further offers made or obligations entered into, in respect of an posts excluding Consultant appointments and Graduate Nurses and Midwives and Doctors in formal approved Training programmes.

“This move is necessary only because we know now that by year end we will have reached our 2023 ambitions for recruitment.”

Gloster also said that the HSE would be consolidating its workforce next year.

“In 2024 we will be consolidating our now unprecedented and expanded workforce and range of services they provide,” he said. 

“I would like to emphasise that there is no reduction in ambition here for the future. 2024 will bring an additional allocation to the workforce 2,268 WTE (Whole-time Equivalent),” he said, adding that this would exclude disability services. 

The decision to impose a recruitment freeze was taken by Gloster last month after the Department of Health employed over 200 more staff members than it had planned or budgeted for this year.

Yesterday The Journal reported that the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Association) intended to engage with its members to consider taking industrial action in response to indications that the hiring freeze would be extended. 

In a statement, INMO executives said the announcement of the recruitment freeze extension came “without documentation and without consultation with the union”.

“A request for a meeting with the HSE, was declined,” it added. 

“INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “This recruitment freeze represents a serious error on the part of the employer, and the impact on the provision of care is going to be disastrous.

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21 Comments
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    Mute J Ven
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    Nov 11th 2023, 1:55 PM

    Have the cojones and let go the paper pushers, unnecessary managers and automate. In return offer more money and working conditions to doctors and nurses so they won’t strike. If unions revolts, let them strike, if compensations have to be paid, then pay it. This has to be planned and done simultaneously in a surgical way, having a contingency plan. This is the only way to purge the HSE

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    Mute 9QRixo8H
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    Nov 11th 2023, 2:12 PM

    @J Ven: to automate will kill jobs, the thing you’re against. Even doctors can be automated, making it more efficient when doing surgeries and where updates can be done instantly rather than have doctors who need to read updates when they have time. Then you’re against unions that help doctors get more pay, but you want doctors to get more pay. Make up your mind Jenny.

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    Mute J Ven
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    Nov 11th 2023, 7:41 PM

    @9QRixo8H: Automate to get rid of unnecessary paper pushers, pay doctors more, even with automation, they need more staff, and if by some weird situation a doctor has to let go because of Automation which I doubt because SAP can’t prescribe nor operate, then so be it. I’m against useless unions, you don’t need a union to pay people more nowadays, I’m pro doctor, pro efficiency, unions: depend. I hope I was clear Denise.

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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Nov 12th 2023, 7:51 PM

    @J Ven: see how long the show stays on the road if you get rid of the ‘paper pushers’ .Or do you think a consultant will be bothered their hole typing their own letters, sourcing patient charts, filing their own prescriptions, making their own appointments, filling out insurance forms, arranging tribunals, multidiscipinary meetings, foi requests etc etc etc. Will you pay the concomitant tax increase that would come with this vague concept of automation, and the tens of thousands people you put on the welfare as a result, or will ya just give out about it in yet another amazing display of ditch hurling?

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    Mute Anthony Corbett
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    Nov 11th 2023, 2:37 PM

    Its time the unions declared a state of emergency in the HSE. They are too long skirting the issues.

    Significant Scandals
    Bed closures
    Poor recruitment when most needed
    Zero retention initiatives or perks
    Huge waiting lists
    Data breaches
    Staff cannot get paid correctly

    To name a few

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    Mute Richard Starling
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    Nov 11th 2023, 3:45 PM

    I don’t see any freeze on the executive or pen pusher sectors (unless I missed something) just on direct healthcare professionals where they are desperately needed.

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    Mute Pato
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    Nov 11th 2023, 2:15 PM

    .I agree with J.Ven. I have been in hospital for 5 months now and the waste is staggering. I see the front line staff who, if they are not lazy, are run off their feet
    I never see the paper pushers put their hands are on everything

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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Nov 12th 2023, 8:07 PM

    @Pato: sorry for your current situation, hope you are doing ok under the circumstances, but to be fair, you admit you never see the ‘paper pushers’ If so, How are you aware of the work they do/don’t do? You concede some front line staff are lazy and some are run off their feet, is it impossible to consider that this dichotomy might exist with the admin staff aswell, or do you dismiss every single one of them as a waste without being aware of the work they do? Bit unfair, no?

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    Mute
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    Nov 11th 2023, 3:41 PM

    Great to see such open lovely debate and comments on all the articles…

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    Mute Peter Byrne
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    Nov 11th 2023, 5:38 PM

    Great to see everyone knows what they are talking about. Plenty staff in HSE , up almost another 6 000 this year, to around 130,000. I was in for a biopsy yesterday, staff were great nobody under any pressure as it should be. No doubt HSE needs some reorganisation, fewer and bigger hospitals would be a start. Better use of IT and computers , more staff in Community Areas, more step down facilities. A bigger budget the HSE does not need as it is currently round 26 Billion about 25% of government spending

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    Mute Joe Kelly
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    Nov 12th 2023, 4:27 PM

    @Peter Byrne: bigger hospitals have caused the problems we have now. The smaller local hospitals, Patrick dunes, the adelaide, should never have been closed.

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    Mute Joanne Holland
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    Nov 11th 2023, 9:48 PM

    Sadly, it seems time for another nurses strike, and I will support every foot on the picket line. In 2019 my mother was in ICU during the nurses strike, Simon Harris was minister for health. I then implored Mr. Harris to review the management and structures of the HSE, having watched them fail my mother in her final days. Many responded, the solution, Slainte Care!! Wait for the reforms, they told me……I’m still waiting. Then and now nurses will continue to give care to those most in need, with one hand tied behind their backs!

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    Mute hans vos
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    Nov 11th 2023, 10:40 PM

    Makes great sense. Patient’s in corridors without privacy. Hours waiting in the emergency department. Overcrowding and not enough hands-on staff to man / women the ward’s .This government is very good in making the wrong choises.

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    Mute D M
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    Nov 12th 2023, 12:35 AM

    They will continue to recruit and recruit more and more cheaper nursing agency staff instead… no sick pay , maternity pay , holiday pay , pension contributions.. so that the top dog non health care worker managers keep getting loaded and richer !

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    Mute David
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    Nov 11th 2023, 2:32 PM

    sinn fein have NOT ruled out going in to government with the same party that condones murder in Gaza.
    Shame on sinn fein!!!
    Traitors!!!

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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Nov 11th 2023, 4:48 PM

    @David: where anyone said they condone murder, save SF throughout the 70,80, 90s? Odd, but what about the murder on Oct 7, you haven’t mentioned them, odd that.

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    Mute Joe Kelly
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    Nov 12th 2023, 4:29 PM

    @David: what has this to do with irish hospitals.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Nov 12th 2023, 10:14 AM

    Australia and UK thanks us for training them

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    Mute
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    Nov 11th 2023, 7:47 PM

    The media and government in britain are a joke. Peace march, how dare they call for a ceasefire. They were nowhere near a cenotaph. Far right EDL and Tommy Robinson are now legit patriots apparently. Fighting the police like football hooligans is so patriotic like

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    Mute Joe Kelly
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    Nov 12th 2023, 4:33 PM

    Who cares what goes on in Britain? After all they were never short of thugs.

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    Mute
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    Nov 12th 2023, 8:09 AM

    I love lamp

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