Fórsa criticised what it describes as multiple failures of leadership by the Department of Health. In an opening statement to the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee last week (8th February), convened to discuss the welfare and safety of workers and patients in the public health service, Fórsa officials said the department’s current approach to leadership involves ignoring staff concerns about a broad range of issues.

These include the withdrawal of protections for staff experiencing long Covid conditions, a failure to expand the assault scheme to include all health staff, in addition to what Fórsa described as ‘arbitrary’ exclusions of some health workers from the pandemic recognition payment, and the ongoing issue of pay inequality between public health service workers and those in the community and voluntary sector.

Fórsa officials Ashley Connolly and Linda Kelly told the committee that the Department of Health’s approach to these issues was either to ignore them or to tie them up in long, drawn-out industrial relations processes “with little or no chance of a meaningful, effective outcome.”

Linda said the culture within health “tells our members that that they are not valued, that their work is not important, respected or recognised and that their passion to do the best for the citizens arriving in front of them is misplaced.”

Ashley also outlined a ‘significant’ failure, over multiple health service delivery plans, “to invest in clerical and administrative staff as well as HSCPs (health and social care professionals), pharmacy and other grades in a strategic and planned manner to meet service needs.”

She said a direct result of this failure to invest in recruitment has created pressure points across the health sector, most notably in the Assessment of Need, Children’s Disability Network teams, mental health, payroll, pensions, and outpatient services.

In its recommendations, Fórsa urged the committee to ensure that RHAs are appropriately resourced, in order to foster a culture of meaningful leadership in each regional area.

Fórsa also recommended the committee seek an urgent workforce retention plan from the Department of Health for all grades, and as part of that plan seek ring-fenced funding for continuing professional development for all grades, and to ensure such funding is equitably distributed.