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The HSE\u2019s winter plan has been slammed as a \u201cwish-list\u201d that is short on targets.<\/p>\nThe HSE\u2019s winter plan has been slammed as a \u201cwish-list\u201d that is short on targets.<\/p>\n
The winter plan was published on Thursday and includes pledges to add hundreds of extra acute beds in to the system by early next year.<\/p>\n
It will involve additional spending of 600 million euro for the rest of this year and into early next year.<\/p>\n
However, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (Inmo) warned that the plan will \u201csimply not work\u201d without extra nursing and midwifery staffing.<\/p>\n
The HSE said it hopes to recruit an additional 12,000 staff but acknowledged that it was \u201cambitious\u201d.<\/p>\n
Inmo general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said: \u201cWithout a plan for extra staffing, the winter plan will simply not work.<\/p>\n
\u201cExtra hospital beds are much needed, but they are meaningless and dangerous if not properly staffed and resourced.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor months now, we have sought a funded workforce plan from the HSE, setting out how many nurses and midwives they intend to hire in the health service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still awaiting any engagement, something we have referred to the WRC (Work Relations Commission) as a dispute.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis winter plan brings welcome investment, but absolutely zero clarity on how we will recruit and retain the staff to provide care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe HSE says it will take a zero-tolerance approach to overcrowding, yet trolley figures continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Alan Irvine, president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said the HSE blueprint promises to invest in services but \u201cnot in the professionals required to deliver them\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big promises in the plan can only be realized if we have additional consultants and healthcare professionals,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe plan includes little to no specifics on this fundamental component.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding capacity requires investing in space and in professional healthcare workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no clear allocation of funding to hire additional hospital consultants and other frontline professionals.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo-thirds of the 600 million euro will not be deployed until 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese factors alone immediately cause concern around the ability of the plan to adequately address the challenge of a \u2018winter like no other\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s spokesman for health David Cullinane said the plan was a \u201cwish-list\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know 1,100 acute beds are needed now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government is only proposing 251 additional beds by the end of the year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also know that at least 50 ICU beds, the Government is only proposing an additional 17.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have no targets in their plan in relation to staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir plan is a wish-list.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s short on targets, it does\u2019t have any targets in relation to staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt falls far short of what is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour leader Alan Kelly called for the Government to give assurances over the capacity figures.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThere\u2019s ambitious plans for recruitment of 12,500 people, 5,000 before Christmas and 7,500 afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Inmo has pointed out that some nurses have come back from abroad and haven\u2019t been able to get fulltime jobs already.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going to radically change and where are we going to get the consultants we require?\u201d<\/p>\n