A total of 2,003 staff exited the health service at the end of December, via the Government’s early retirement and voluntary severance packages. Of these, 641 took early retirement and 1,362 took voluntary severance.
The vast majority of those who left the service worked directly for the HSE, which lost 1,409 staff – 533 by early retirement and 876 by voluntary severance. A total of 594 of those who left were non HSE staff and of these, 108 took early retirement and 486 voluntary severance.
The HSE saw 20 per cent of its Asst. National Directors and 21 per cent of its General Managers leave the service while 15 per cent of Grade V111s left. Twenty five of the 121 Asst. National Directors took the package, as did 39 of the 183 General Managers and 75 of the 484 Grade V111s.
Management/admin staff was the largest single group which left – they accounted for 1,364, while 639 general support staff exited the service. Of those who left, 967 management admin staff worked directly for the HSE, while 397 were non HSE. Of the general support staff, 442 were HSE and 197 non HSE.
The HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster lost 262 staff – 207 management/admin and 55 general support. The HSE Dublin North East lost 279 staff – 193 management admin and 86 general support. The HSE South lost 447 staff – 260 management admin and 187 general support. The HSE West lost 421 staff – 307 management admin and 114 general support.
The total payments made under the exit schemes as at 31st December 2010 were €101m. A spokesperson for the HSE said there will be some further adjustments to the total cost of the schemes, such as for example people on maternity leave who have the option under the scheme to avail of their offer when they return to work during 2011.
