Cancer services are facing a critical challenge due to the Health Service Executive's (HSE) failure to recruit qualified graduates, as revealed at a recent conference. The HSE's Pay and Numbers Strategy, which aimed to freeze staffing levels by December 31st, 2023, has resulted in a shortage of radiographers and radiation therapists, impacting the state's cancer-care services.
The conference heard that initially, there was a commitment to offer posts to all 120 graduate radiographers and 40 radiation therapists in the public health system. However, due to the hiring restrictions imposed by the strategy, this promise was not fulfilled this year, exacerbating the existing staff shortages. This has led to a dire situation where a third of newly qualified diagnostic radiographers were without jobs by September, with many potentially leaving for the private sector or abroad.
Debbie Kelleher, a radiation therapist, shared a similar experience, stating that only a third of the 30 radiation therapists qualified this year were working for the HSE until recently. This shortage has led to underutilization of treatment machines and potential closures for cancer services.
Both Monahan and Kelleher argue that all graduates could and should have been hired to address the staff shortages. They claim that the HSE's decision not to do so is a false economy, as it results in the private sector taking over more services due to the underutilization of diagnostic equipment. This, in turn, contributes to burnout and staff leaving the system due to pressure and a lack of work-life balance.
Kevin Figgis, Siptu's senior health sector official, attributes the problem to the introduction of the strategy. The HSE, however, justifies its actions as an attempt to regularize its staff budget, which was consistently being exceeded. Despite ongoing negotiations, the unions argue that there are 6,000 unfilled vacancies across the public health sector, highlighting the ongoing crisis.
