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Nurses face the axe as NHS aims to make a saving of £344m
Friday, 10 October 2008
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Almost 2,500 jobs will be axed from the Northern Ireland health service within three years under radical new proposals to save millions of pounds, it was announced last night.
The proposals put more than 700 nursing posts under threat as part of the cutbacks.
Health Minister Michael McGimpsey revealed the major restructuring plans with the Health Committee at Stormont where he discussed the Health and Social Care Trusts’ efficiency proposals.
Over the next three years each government department must deliver 3% efficiency savings — resulting in a target of £344m for health and social care.
Through proposals, provided by the five trusts, it is estimated that between 2008-2011 there will be a “net reduction” of 2,475 posts.
Mr McGimpsey said he was “confident” that any reduction in posts could be achieved without compulsory redundancies.
The two groups most affected by the reforms are nursing and midwifery and admin and clerical departments.
While 15 new jobs are estimated to be created within nursing between 2008/09, 359 jobs will be reduced in 2009/10 and 378 posts between 2010/11.
And 925 jobs within admin and clerical will be axed by 2011.
The department estimates they will require about 400 newly qualified nurses over each of the next three years — a drop from 550 newly qualified nurses.
It is also proposed that the private sector would be able to “absorb the surplus” and are planning to reduce the recruitment of international nurses.
It was also highlighted that under efficiency proposals more services would become community based leading to a change in nursing roles. However, it was mentioned that an economic downturn could affect the projections and the situation needs to be closely monitored.
Speaking to the Health Committee Mr McGimpsey said “difficult choices” will have to be made throughout the next few years.
But the Minister went on to say the additional funding will “save lives and transform the lives of thousands more.”
“We have to find the money, if we don’t all the new service developments that I’ve announced around cancer, mental health and learning disabilities, we will not be able to pay for. These efficiencies are paying for all of that.”
Mr McGimpsey also emphasised that efficiency savings are “not cuts”.
“I know that they are often wrongly perceived as such, but the money we release is not taken out of the system, it is reinvested back into front line services, to areas where it is needed most.
“Resources are finite and we can always do more. I have made it clear that this process is not about frontline cuts—rather frontline changes.”
“We will need to retain, reskill and redeploy some of our staff to ensure we make the most effective use of our resources.
“I am confident that any reduction in posts can be achieved without compulsory redundancies.
“However, as our workforce becomes more efficient, it means we can provide services to the same high levels with more effective resources.
He added: “Staff will move from front line hospital care into our communities.
“Most importantly, these staff will be providing care for people in their local communities and in their own houses, helping people manage their chronic conditions and supporting elderly people to live more independently at home.
“Difficult decisions will have to be made.
“I am very clear, though, that the delivery of the best possible care for patients is at the forefront of my mind throughout this process.
“There will only be change if it is change for the better.”
The trusts will now consult on the proposals for five months before a final decision is made.
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I bet that cuts in the health service will not impact upon wealthy people, these sorts of cuts never do. Ordinary people no longer count when it comes to health care.
Posted by MARC | 16.10.08, 21:41 GMT
Why is it always nurses, teachers and firemen who get the sympathy vote when their jobs are under threat. You never hear of a collective vote for engineers who are out of work or have to work away from home to earn a living and typically get paid less than nurses or teachers these days!
Posted by Norman | 11.10.08, 06:49 GMT
Now you know where the free prescriptions are coming from.
Posted by rih | 11.10.08, 01:34 GMT
What is more important? Saving millions of pounds and loosing one life or saving millions of lives? I know where MY choice would be. I heard on the television over here that "we have been too concerned about the 'mighty dollar' but now is the time to get back to the 'mighty GOD'" I KNOW that HE would much rather save the lives too.
Posted by CannuckCol | 10.10.08, 22:51 GMT
Some one should deal with the stiuation in Stormont where you need one MLA but you get two. One First Minister not two.
MLAs who continue to cost us Millions even when they do no work.
The savings would pay for all the health service jobs.
Posted by Concerned Tax Payer | 10.10.08, 22:42 GMT
Yes, I agree that there are too many administrators and too high a salary for the managers but what is the evidence for nurses being overworked? Let's have quantitative data.
Whenever I visit hospitals, my impression is that there are too many staff, not necessarily nurses, hanging around often in groups with too little work.
This perception may be incorrect but outsiders are required to enter the system to assess work patterns via time and motion studies rather than relying on anecdotal evidence.
Posted by robbo | 10.10.08, 20:27 GMT
Why not reduce the number of Councils immediately to 8 and save money which could be transferred to Health Service and keep nurses.
Posted by armaghian | 10.10.08, 18:39 GMT
As bannside said... cut the salaries of the slackers at the top and sure you will save millions more.
Posted by kay | 10.10.08, 13:58 GMT
Sack ALL fat nurses; it's obvious that they are not pulling their weight.
Posted by Augustin | 10.10.08, 13:34 GMT
How many high paid managers are going. As we reduce the number of nurses who are overworked and undervalued, who are the overpaid unecessary managers going to manage.
maybe the NHS should look at where the money is actually being spent and they will find that the nurses are necessary but the managers are not!!!!!!!!
Posted by ashlene999 | 10.10.08, 12:14 GMT
There are too few nurses as things stand. We need more nurses not less. If spending targets need to be met and jobs have to go wouldn’t it be better to target staff in other areas? In reality more money needs to be spent on our health services or at least we need to start prioritising and the highest priority should be patient care and the required standard of care can’t be provided by cutting the number of nurses. In fact it can’t be provided with the number of nurses as is. Once we have recruited the extra nurses required do you think we could do something about the toilets and shower rooms on the wards? The last time I was in hospital (Altnagelvin) I was advised by the nurse not to take a shower. I went for a look and was astounded at what I found. The shower room was disgusting and I mean disgusting. No wonder MRSA is a problem.
Posted by Sean | 10.10.08, 11:12 GMT
If the budget was this tight where did the money for free prescriptions come from. Surely nurses in the Hospital Wards are more of a priority.
Posted by JG | 10.10.08, 11:03 GMT
The bottom line is we need more health care do not let them tell you otherwise. Nurses are overstretched as it is.
But thats okay as we have seen in the 1920s the huge growth of the real opposition parties will push voters to crack the whip. This i suppose is the only unfortunate way to wake people up when they see the state of all the country with the way we are losing health, education, security, pensions, high crime etc.
Posted by Oswald Moffat | 10.10.08, 10:28 GMT
This is so typical. I live in Banbridge and in last week's local paper was a small magazine from the Southern Health Trust. It listed some salaries and other financial details etc. The directors of this trust are on salaries in the region of £180,000 and some had pension funds totaling over £1 million!! But how do we save money....that's right we make nurses and clerical staff redundant!! What a joke. Mr McGimpsey is way out of his depth here. Funny how cost cutting exercises never seem to start at the top where all the fat is.
Posted by bannside | 10.10.08, 10:23 GMT