The Health Services Executive (HSE) published its service plan for 2005 this evening claiming that 600 planned job cuts in the service could be achieved "through natural wastage and without impacting on front line services."
In a statement this evening the HSE cuts represent just 0.6 per cent of the more than 97,000-strong health service workforce.
The service plan shows how the €11 billion allocated to the health services this year will be spent. Its basic aim is to maintain the service levels of 2004, with €200 million allocated to plans to improve accident and emergency, disability and mental health services.
Funding for 200 extra beds is also provided for. The service plan acknowledges that the National Acute Hospital Bed Capacity Report (2002) found 3,000 beds were needed and says funding for 709 of these has been provided for.
Another core development area in 2005 is provision for the 230,000 "doctor only" medical cards. However, these cards have been opposed by GPs who argue that the scheme will create a huge extra workload for doctors without any additional resources.
The Minister for Health Mary Harney called on GPs not to oppose the new cards when she addressed the IMO's agm in Killarney last weekend.
Among the provisions for people with disabilities are 270 additional residential places, approximately 400 new day places and 90 additional respite places. These are being funded out of the €56.35 million allocated to disability services over and above what was provided in 2004.
A further €15.5 million has been allocated to services for people with physical and sensory disability. This will provide for the 14 additional beds at the Central Mental Hospital, Dublin and for 60 new places for people with significant disabilities.
The details for improving accident and emergency units was announced last December by the Minister and include measures to free up beds in hospitals and also services to reduce the number of people presenting at A&E.
This year the HSE expects more than one million acute hospital treatments nationwide - split almost evenly between in-patient and outpatient. It is also planning for 500,000 ambulance calls and providing medicine under the Drugs Payment Scheme to 1.45 million people.
In a foreword to the report, acting Health Service Executive ceo Kevin Kelly said: "The Executive aspires to the delivery of health and social care that does not vary in quality, irrespective of geographic location, and embraces all groups in society equally."
Responding to the job cuts the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said a reduction of 600 health service staff will have a "significant negative impact upon the quality and quantity of direct patient care services".
Liam Doran, INO general secretary, said it was a "simple reality that frontline staff, including nurses and midwives, and direct patient services will be most hit by any plan that proposes a reduction of 600 posts to be achieved by natural wastage".
"Our experience in the past confirms that nursing posts turnover at much greater levels than other posts and are therefore targeted by health service managers when they are pressurised into reducing employment levels in order to live within an arbitrarily imposed employment ceiling."
The Tánaiste, who has approved the plan, instructed that frontline staff not be affected in setting a cap on health sector staff of 97,555.
Mr Doran said that while it might be the HSE's intention not to affect frontline staff, these sectors of the health service were the ones with the highest turn over.
