Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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296. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which plans are in preparation to ensure the retention of adequate health personnel at all levels to meet any eventualities and eliminate overcrowding at acute hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4922/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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297. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which an adequate supply of general practitioners, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses and consultants is likely to become available to the public health service to ensure the elimination of waiting list and overcrowding at accident and emergency departments and the availability of community health services throughout urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4923/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together.

The Government is committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services. The Programme for Partnership Government commits to increasing the number of GP training places to 259 places annually. In July 2016, the GP training intake increased from 157 to 172 places and the HSE's 2017 National Service Plan envisages a further increase, to 187 places this year. I am anxious to achieve further increases in future years in order to ensure that the future manpower needs of general practice can be met. In addition, I am cognisant of the need for a new GP services contract which will help modernise our health service and develop a strengthened primary care sector, and health service management have already progressed a number of significant measures through engagement with GP representatives in recent years. The next phase of engagement on a new GP contract is under way and initial meetings with GP representative bodies have been held in January. The GP contracts review process will, inter alia, seek to introduce further measures aimed at making general practice a fulfilling and rewarding career option into the future.

There are many initiatives currently under way to improve nursing and midwifery staffing levels throughout the country. The number of nursing and midwifery staff increased by 1,650 between December 2013 and December 2016. The HSE is offering permanent posts to 2016 degree programme graduates, and full time permanent contracts to those in temporary posts. The HSE is also focused on converting agency staffing to permanent posts. Its National Recruitment Service is actively operating rolling nursing recruitment campaigns. The campaigns encompass General, Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Registered Children's Nurses, and also Midwives. The Acute Hospital Groups have advertised a number of Emergency Department nursing posts and are currently in the recruitment process. The HSE ran a 3 day open recruitment event over the Christmas holiday period in Dr Steevens' Hospital for nurses and midwives from all disciplines who are interested in working in the Irish Public Health Service. 220 attended the event. 115 nursing and midwifery candidates were deemed successful and panelled following interview. The files for successful candidates have passed to the contracting unit within National Recruitment Service, Manorhamilton. This event will be followed by a series of careers events for nurses throughout 2017 with the next one scheduled for 31 March 2017. A relocation package of up to €1,500 continues to be available to nurses who return from overseas.

The report of the Emergency Department Expert Group identified a need to take on additional nurses to care for boarded patients awaiting admission from Emergency Departments. This is particularly where the number of patients awaiting admission occupy over 50% of the Emergency Department cubicle capacity for the hospital concerned. Having regard to the formula set out in the Report for calculating the required nursing compliment an additional 107 nursing and midwifery posts are to be created and filled to look after all admitted patients in Emergency Departments. The Group also recommended that nursing numbers in Emergency Departments are brought to their full agreed staffing levels. Of the 144 related posts that were vacant approximately half have been filled to date. The current recruitment campaigns and others that are in the process of being developed will be used to fill the vacant Emergency Department posts and the additional 107 posts.

It is Government policy to move to a consultant delivered service. While the ratio of consultants to patients is lower in Ireland than in other countries, reflecting a historical low base, significant progress has been achieved. There has been a large increase in the number of consultants since the establishment of the HSE, the number having increased by 956 from December 2004 to the end of 2016 (1,905 to 2,861 - Whole Time Equivalents). There are some specialties in which there are international shortages and which have been traditionally difficult to fill. This means that progress in improving the ratios is more difficult. Shortages in specialties such as emergency medicine, anaesthesia and psychiatry are a worldwide phenomenon and not specific to the Irish health services. The number of NCHDs has also increased significantly in the past decade, reflecting service demands and ongoing efforts to achieve full compliance with the requirements of the European Working Time Directive. From 31 December 2006 to 31 December 2016 the number increased from 4,679 to 6,060 an increase of 1,381.