The implementation of the Department of Health’s paper on workforce planning will be “incremental” and overseen by established bodies, this newspaper has been told.
Writing in the last issue of the Medical Independent (MI), Medical Council President Dr Suzanne Crowe noted the publication of Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce, but added that a “detailed implementation plan” was still awaited. Dr Crowe wrote that a “renewed culture and innovative training model must sit within a properly funded, regionally mapped workforce plan”.
A Department spokesperson told MI that Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce, published in December, sets out an evidence-based strategic direction for the health and social care workforce for the next 15 years.
“Implementation of the [20] actions set out in the paper will be incremental and delivered on a phased basis as part of the Department of Health and HSE’s ongoing workforce planning activities,” the spokesperson told MI.
“The actions set out in the paper will be overseen by existing cross-Government and cross-sectoral groups, for example the interdepartmental group established to expand HSCP [health and social care] professions in priority areas for the health, disability, and education sectors.”
Work was also “progressing” with HSE National Doctors Training and Planning to establish additional postgraduate training places and to support targets for increases in NCHD and consultant numbers.
“This work is informed by long-term medical workforce planning projections and it supports implementation of NCHD taskforce recommendations to provide training opportunities and career pathways for NCHDs.”
In the last training year, the total number of doctors enrolled in training programmes increased by 7 per cent.
The Department is working with regulators to “expand and improve” the available data on professions in anticipation of future planning exercises.
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