Professor Steve Thomas:

Yes, I will. Internationally and across Europe, the countries that did well during Covid-19 were those that had universal systems. These give us much better preparedness for shock. As we go forward and face the cost-of-living crisis, the argument for having a universal system is even stronger. This is a general point. Resilience is always founded on a well-motivated, well-engaged and protected workforce, with the right people in the right places at the right time. One of the things we have got to be very careful of in the context of Covid-19, and again this has been the case across Europe, is that we have taken our workforce for granted. We have required people to go above and beyond the call of duty. Now, there is a real problem with staff turnover, with disengagement and with demoralisation. The importance of workforce planning, therefore, in its broadest remit is incredible.

One of my critiques of workforce planning to date is that it has tended to be quite siloed. It is often concerned with a particular type of consultant or just GPs, rather than thinking about things in the round in relation to the provision of integrated care. Workforce planning, therefore, must go hand-in-hand with the regionalisation process. I do not see these two things connecting at the moment and this is very much at our peril. There are very high staff turnover rates now, not just for consultants but also for therapists, psychologists and key people in the system. If we do not protect them, then we will be in real trouble in trying not only to deliver Sláintecare but to recover from the cost-of-living crisis and to get through Covid-19.