THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has told trade unions that the Government wants it to maintain the existing level of services next year, despite the restrictions in the level of funding increases provided by the exchequer.
It said the Government wanted it to make up any shortfall in funding through efficiencies, productivity and work practice reforms. Health service unions are to meet HSE management for 10 days of intensive talks, beginning on Monday and aimed at introducing work practice changes among 110,000 healthcare staff.
Union sources said HSE management at meetings yesterday had accepted that it could not impose changes unilaterally.
Management sources said it told the unions it was not in the habit of making changes unilaterally and it wanted to give them an opportunity to have input, but that time was critical.
The HSE did not specify yesterday the value that work practice reforms and greater flexibility would generate. However, it told unions previously it was facing a shortfall of €300 – €400 million if it was to maintain existing levels of services.
The HSE received an increase of 3.5 per cent in its funding for next year compared with rises of over 9 per cent in recent years.
It has also been told that it has to fund a 3.5 per cent pay increase for staff due next September under the proposed new national pay deal from its own resources.
The Irish Times revealed on Thursday that the HSE had proposed introducing restrictions on employment, reviewing temporary staff contracts and reforming annual leave, sick leave and expenses arrangements as part of new cost-containment proposals.
HSE management also suggested there should be greater provision to allow it to re-deploy or re-assign staff where necessary, including on an involuntary basis in some cases.
As part of an agreement reached yesterday, the HSE and unions are to carry out an intensive set of discussions starting next week on work practice and operational issues.
However, it is understood that unions have signalled they will not agree to any changes on issues such as sick leave or travel and subsistence in the health sector as these are governed by agreements that apply across the public sector.
Unions have said that if the HSE wanted reforms in these areas, it would have to ask the Government to enter into negotiations on change across the public service.
The new talks will also encompass cutbacks that are likely to be put forward in the HSE’s service plan for the year.
It will be given to the Minister for Health next week. This is likely to involve ward closures at weekends and an emphasis on daycare.
