Skip to content
News Feature

SIPTU says the new HSE circular seeks to meet cost saving targets at the expense of temporary front line staff and patients

Date Released: 22 Apr 2009

SIPTU National Industrial Secretary Matt Merrigan has condemned the new staffing restrictions proposed by the HSE. “The HSE is planning to cut contract and locum staff as the easy administrative option. It may be an easy option but it will be impact hardest on front line staffing levels and patients”, he said.

“It is impossible to implement this programme of staff cuts without the wholesale closure of hospital wards and seeing waiting lists for procedures grow as long as the queues of unemployed people outside of our dole offices – many of whom will now be health workers. There has been a lot of concern expressed about acting-up allowances and other issues, which is understandable, but the crucial one is maintaining staffing and service levels.”

“For years the HSE has promoted the outsourcing of front line services, whether it is nurses, cleaners, caterers, porters or security staff. These are the people who provide nursing care, who clean the wards and toilets, keeping infection levels under control, who provide meals for patients, who convey patients to operating theatres or who ensure other front line health workers can work in relative safety in A&E departments.

“The deliberate policy of replacing permanent staff with temporary staff through labour agencies or on temporary contracts is now coming home with a vengeance. In some hospitals more than half the staff members providing these essential services are supplied through agencies or are on short term contracts.

“It may be possible to cut payrolls drastically on paper by these methods but has any serious audit taken place of the impact on patients, or on the staff left behind to cope with grossly reduced resources? As usual the HSE seems to think it can run the service by fiat, knowing those making the decisions will never have to face the consequences on the ground.

“As the largest health service union, representing 50,000 members in the sector, we intend fighting this strategy every inch of the way,” he concluded.





Previous and Next: Working in the Health Services |