Fórsa is in active negotiations to ensure there’s a clear pathway for HSCP staff to return to their clinical posts over the next few weeks, as Covid-testing and swabbing staff are now being actively recruited. The first tranche of newly recruited testers and swabbers are due to commence work before the end of September, freeing up HSCP staff who have been engaged in vital Covid-testing work since March.

The union’s head of Health and Welfare Éamonn Donnelly said: “Our discussions with the HSE are now focussed on ensuring a clear transition for HSCP staff back into their clinical roles.

“There’s an urgency to this because the entire health service is gearing up for a challenging winter. HSCPs are going to play an absolutely crucial role in ensuring health services can respond to those challenges,” he said.

Éamonn confirmed that the recruitment campaign for community swabbers closed on Monday (14th), with the first tranche of recruits expected to have completed the recruitment process in the last week of September. The recruitment campaign attracted close to 3,500 applicants. Éamonn said some local recruitment had already taken place.

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