Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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467. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which plans are afoot to ensure the retention of adequate health personnel at all levels to meet eventualities and eliminate overcrowding at acute hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23778/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In the short term, I have asked the HSE and my Department to identify opportunities to increase capacity, in line with the Capacity Review recommendations, and I expect to receive finalised proposals shortly. Recruitment and retention of personnel will be a key factor in the delivery of additional capacity.

Recruitment and retention of key medical personnel in the health workforce is of vital importance.  With regard to consultants, notwithstanding recruitment and retention challenges, these have increased by 110 in the 12 months to end March 2018 and by 462 in the past five years. The number of Non Consultant Hospital Doctors has also increased by 289 in the 12 months to end March, 2018, and by 1,358 in the past five years.

The HSE has been focussed on addressing issues associated with the creation and approval of consultant posts and successful recruitment. It is now giving effect to the report 'Towards Successful Consultant Recruitment, Appointment and Retention', completed in December 2016. It is also focussed on implementing the recommendations of the 'MacCraith Group' to support the recruitment and retention of consultants and NCHDs.

In terms of nurses and midwives, increasing nursing and midwifery numbers has been a priority for the past 18 months. The 2017 funded workforce plan, as part of the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Agreement, committed the HSE to recruiting 1,224 additional nurses and midwives.  The final report setting out progress on implementation of the Agreement shows that there has been a significant growth in the appointment of nurses and midwives with 942 WTE of the 1,224 posts filled (WTE’s). The HSE remain committed to the Agreement and efforts will continue to fill the remaining posts. It has once again committed to offer all 2018 graduating student nurses and midwives permanent contracts within a Hospital Group or CHO, subject to their attaining registration and satisfactory performance.

I also note that the Public Service Pay Commission is currently looking at a number of medical grades, including consultants and nurses and midwives in the current phase of its work and is expected to report at the end of June.