The Health Service Executive has issued a memo to senior managers regarding the extension of the recruitment freeze. The directive issued today will come into effect immediately.
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| CEO Bernard Gloster |
This means that previously approved posts (about 7000) which cannot be funded at this time will be removed from the profile", he said. Gloster added that there would be no further recruitment in 2024 except for about 2,000 posts already committed.
CEO Bernard Gloster said that while its funding was high, the organization had to control costs because it was "not enough to cover all current costs". Other areas of impact include patient and client care services, including healthcare assistants and home help. Additional agency staff and non-consultant hospital doctors (formerly known as junior doctors) will be frozen.
Grades exempted from the freeze are accredited consulting posts, GP training posts, nursing and midwifery posts, dentists and orthodontists for public service schools and emergency services, health and social care professionals and National Ambulance Service pre-hospital care.
Last week, the HSE informed top managers that it would freeze the filling of some new and replacement managerial posts due to cost overruns.
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinan, IMO and SIPTU, said this afternoon that the extended recruitment freeze would have a direct impact on patient care. The Irish Medical Organization said it was "shocked and appalled" at the recruitment freeze, saying the decision "will inevitably have a negative impact on patient care".
On Wednesday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly signaled that that freeze would be extended to include grades that have already met recruitment targets. The HSE's decision to freeze recruitment for the remainder of 2023 has sparked mixed reactions within the healthcare community, with concerns about potential service disruptions. However, the move is believed to be necessary to address funding challenges and ensure a more sustainable approach to 2024.
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