Hospital services to suffer savage cutbacks
Health services face savage cutbacks in spending next year, Health Minister Mary Harney indicated last night.
Cuts in overtime and agency staff, closure of hospital wards at weekends and more treatment of patients as day cases are all in the pipeline.
Unions claim hospitals are in danger of inadequate medical cover as moves get under way to cut overtime for 4,500 junior doctors by half as part of a bid to slash €325m in pay costs across the service.
Ms Harney said the challenges facing the Government are immense, as she urged a national effort to tackle the crisis.
"In order to maintain services next year, there are going to have to be serious cutbacks in agency staff, in overtime at every level, at junior doctor level, at nurse level. The HSE has tabled proposals to the unions and I certainly hope that all of us will play our part in making sure that we do business differently in order to deliver services to the people," she said.
Ms Harney has made it clear senior and junior doctors are not exempt from challenge if targets to save up to €500m in health spending next year are to be met.
A key area for change is a cut in overtime, including overtime of junior doctors, who are essential to maintaining medical cover in hospitals in the evenings and at night.
The stark scenario was outlined to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation last Friday when Ms Harney refused to guarantee around €68m originally promised to specialists in 2008 arising out of their new work contract.
The €68m covered pay rises, back pay and pension increases but since "no tangible benefit" has emerged for patients yet, the payment of this money for 2008 is now in danger of being shelved although it is "still under consideration".
The withholding of the money was discussed at a national council meeting of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association over the weekend -- and it is expected that mediator Mark Connaughton, who helped broker the new work contract for specialists, will be called on again to clarify issues and advise on whether a negotiated agreement has been broken.
The minister said as senior specialists work longer hours next year, providing medical cover in the evenings and weekends under their new contract, there will be less need for junior staff and their overtime can be cut.
The Irish Medical Organisation, which represents junior doctors, is resisting the move.
HSE human resources director Sean McGrath has warned there is no alternative but to change outdated work practices and reduce absenteeism across the service. SIPTU, which represents around 9,000 health workers, has signalled it will begin a ballot for industrial action this week in protest at the proposed changes.
The industrial unrest comes as the HSE prepares to unveil its spending plan for 2009, which is set to include hundreds of bed closures, as well as a cap on schemes such as discretionary medical cards.
- Eilish O'Regan and Fionnan Sheahan
