Sir, – It is not surprising that applicants for frontline jobs in the HSE are low compared with the numbers applying for HSE management jobs ("Frontline HSE jobs lag senior appointments", July 9th).
Frontline staff such as nurses have difficult working conditions, poor pay and are answerable to their patients for poor performance. HSE managers, on the other hand, have regular hours, excellent pay-scales, and appear to be rewarded with promotion regardless of performance.
There has been no published investigation or punishment of any HSE manager in the media in recent memory, whereas cases against nurses and doctors have become a regular feature. Successive ministers for health have spoken about managerial underperformance, the need for managers to “shape up”, and the need for managerial “heads to roll”, but nothing happens. The only surprise is that the numbers applying for HSE management jobs aren’t even greater. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.