Multidisciplinary recruitment part of upcoming strategy

A timeframe is being drawn up for the implementation of a new public health workforce plan, the HSE has told the Medical Independent (MI).

In December, the HSE launched the Public Health Strategy 2025-2030, which committed to the development of a workforce plan for the sector.

The HSE spokesperson told MI that the plan will be developed through the national office of public health.

“This work will consider the full multidisciplinary public health workforce, including but not exclusively our consultants. A timeline for this work is currently being developed.”

There was a 50 per cent decrease in the number of applications for the creation of public health consultant posts in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the consultant applications advisory committee 2025 annual report.

Public health recruitment was a major theme at the recent IMO AGM in Killarney.

The national public and community health doctors meeting passed a motion welcoming the recruitment of 86 public health consultants.

However, the motion noted that the recruitment needed to be “built upon and improved to ensure a fit-for-purpose, resilient public health function is embedded within the HSE both nationally and regionally”.

Asked to respond to the motion, the spokesperson said that national HSE public health will continue to advocate for and avail of “every opportunity to expand on its service provision via the annual planning cycle”.

“In relation to the public health multidisciplinary teams… recruitment of current and arising vacancies takes place on an ongoing basis in line with HSE recruitment policies and practices.”

Separately, at the IMO AGM, public and community health doctors passed a motion calling on the HSE to formally engage with the Organisation on the inclusion of community medical doctors and senior medical officers in public health within the function of HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP).

At present, these doctors’ workforce planning and training needs are not included in the NDTP’s remit.

In response, the HSE told MI that there are “no current plans” to have community medical doctors and senior medical officers move under the remit of NDTP.