Ms Linda Kelly:

There has also been a significant failure over multiple service plans to invest in clerical and administrative staff as well as health and social care professionals, HSCPs, pharmacy and other grades across employers in a strategic and planned manner to meet service needs. As a direct result, we see pressure points across the sector for which our members are regularly the first point of contact. They must ring families to cancel long-awaited appointments or deal with complaints about poor service delivery. It is a highly emotive situation for the lowest paid in our health service to deal with every single day.

Our HSCP and pharmacy members do not have the opportunity to develop and lead on innovative clinical practice because there are so many staff shortages and a lack of investment in continuing professional development, CPD, opportunities and career progression. We urge the committee to seek an urgent workforce retention plan from the Department of Health for all grades and as part of that plan, seek ring-fenced funding for CPD for all grades and ensure that fund is equitably distributed.

Our members continue to work in a system that demands everything from them but offers little in return. Staff must be heard and listened to on the issues affecting them and there must be a clear commitment to address the issues by those charged with leading the health sector.