HSE staff who had previously been required to meet a Monday to Friday 9 – 5 working pattern may now be requested to deliver over a six or seven day week to meet the requirements for services over an extended day/week, as required locally, Ms. Maria Ferguson, Regional Director of People, HSE West and North West Health Region, told the session.
Many Areas were examining services which were required over an extended day and week including such areas as diagnostic capacity, ICPOP availability clinics, virtual wards (Acute services), early supported discharge services, crisis resolution services expansion, extending OPD.
Any proposals and changes would further build upon the HSE principles of“ Care, Compassion, Trust and Learning”. A framework for engagement with staff and the Unions was agreed and in place and outlined the processes to be followed to support extended service provision.
Services would review work patterns of health staff to meet the requirements for services over an extended day/week as required locally.
She said local management would identify the level of change that was required to respond to local demands and to deliver on the overall objectives.
The principles highlighted that any plan should not result in the provision of existing services by inadequate or unsafe staffing levels.
Ms. Ferguson said five key considerations in enabling and supporting the implementation of proposed changes were:
- Continued commitment to Recruitment, Retention and Resourcing.
- A holistic and strategic response to address the challenges in recruitment but also in retention, engagement and the development of the workforce – how to retain, attract, develop, support and include the very best healthcare clinicians, managers and staff to sustain our services and support us as we delivered Sláintecare
- Communication, Consultation and Engagement with Staff
- Continued strengthening of partnerships with staff, with Managers, and with staff representative bodies – addressing issues impacting on staff in a co-operative manner through dialogue.
