A code of practice for the employment of people with disabilities in the health service has been launched by the Minister for Health. Mr Martin said he hoped health service employers would ensure senior management produced and implemented equality proposals.
"I believe that senior managers, and all involved in the human resource function, must view the issue of employment of people with disabilities as an integral part of good HR practice," he said. "It cannot be seen merely as an afterthought, or as an add-on."
The code states employers should have policy statements committing them to employing people with disabilities, review recruitment procedures to ensure they do not discriminate against those with disabilities, and advertise or otherwise encourage people with disabilities to apply for jobs. Interview boards should be adequately briefed and special facilities provided, where practicable, to make the selection procedure as fair as possible.
However, a standard requirement for recruitment to any post is that a person does not suffer from any disability that would prevent them rendering "regular and efficient service". Employers who meet the criteria set out in the code can earn accreditation as a "Positive to Disability" enterprise from the National Rehabilitation Board.
Part of the initiative, launched yesterday, includes research into how two health boards and two local authorities are tackling the problem of employing those with disabilities. Dr Pauline Conroy, said the study would "not be looking for winners and losers" but at the factors determining why some agencies were more successful than others at recruiting and retaining staff.