Talks on extensive job cuts and savings at HSE West chaired by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) have been suspended in Galway, following earlier discussions at Merlin Park Hospital.
Union representatives from Siptu, Impact and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) warned that they would resist any effort to renege on contracts held by temporary staff, and called on the HSE West to publish a consultancy study which has recommended that up to 1,000 temporary costs could be axed.
The report by consultants Mott and MacDonald, details of which were published in this morning's Irish Times, says such a reduction in staff on temporary contracts in HSE West or in voluntary organisations could save between €15 million and €20 million over six months.
This could result in the “downsizing and/or curtailment of some services”, as the majority of posts identified are front line. The report also suggests other cost-saving options, including scaling back elective admissions for a defined period; conducting a needs review of home helps and home-care service; and the introduction of waiting lists for aids and appliances.
The report suggests cutbacks in overtime, improved income generation and more efficient procurement practices.
The talks chaired by John Fallon of the LRC adjourned for a half hour shortly after opening, at the request of HSE West’s management team led by Francis Rodgers. Impact representative Richie Carrothers said that the unions had sought immediate publication of the Mott and McDonald report, which had not been forwarded to them, and which they had not been consulted on before commissioning.
“We have also said that we can’t do our negotiations through the press – we have a process or we don’t,” Mr Carrothers said. “My concern is whether the people who make the decisions are in this room or not.”
Siptu health services division official Paul Bell said that this was an issue which “starts in the west and will extend across the country”. Figures for HSE West deficits were being leaked because HSE management was using the region as a “template” for widespread cutbacks.
“The public have to be aware of this in terms of delays in elective surgery, cutbacks in services to the mentally ill, cutbacks in home help and other serious impacts on medical care. Medical care is not an optional extra which has to be delivered by qualified people. “
Siptu had a number of key issues, including the commissioning of the consultancy report, he said. “We also have to identify exactly where the 1,000 jobs are that they are talking about – courtesy of our own members and courtesy of The Irish Times we know they are all front-line services.”
“This is bottom line medicine by management – just taking the service out – and that’s very disturbing,” Mr Bell said. “We also have the Croke Park agreement, and the fact that temporary staff are on contracts which have been agreed upon. Also it has not been explained to us how these deficits have arisen – is it that not enough is being allocated to the budget for the service required, or are people managing the budget not able to manage it properly.”
Siptu national nursing official Louise O’Reilly said that the talks had got off to a “less than auspicious start”, due to the leaking of the Mott McDonald document. She said that her union was “solution focused” but would not see any curtailment of front-line services which were already under severe strain as reflected in an internal HSE West survey of the impact of the staffing moratorium on nursing and midwifery services.
“This is a very labour intensive sector and we should never apologise for that,”Ms O’Reilly said. “It’s not good enough to say the biggest deficit is the pay bill, as outgoing HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm has said. The reality is that men and women are required for patient care.”
HSE West, extending from Limerick to Donegal, faces a financial deficit of about €80 million and has warned unions of significant cutbacks.
Siptu is consulting members on possible industrial action, Mr Bell noted. “We are prepared to stay in the process, once HSE West does not take any unilateral action.”