Plans to increase the healthcare provided to patients in the evenings and weekends were due to be distributed to managers on Tuesday, following a landmark agreement between the Health Service Executive and unions.
Under the new system, thousands of staff, including social workers, therapists and administrative staff, will be rostered to work five over seven days.
The number of staff working evenings will also increase, as the health service seeks to move away from the typical Monday to Friday, 9-to-5 working week.
The move is intended to facilitate more clinics, surgeries and diagnostic testing being carried out over a longer week and it is seen as a significant step towards tackling chronic issues in the health service, such as the number of patients on trolleys and waiting lists.
Irishman Morgan McSweeney: the softly-spoken chief of staff to Keir Starmer now facing questions
Malachy Clerkin: Mayo’s decision to oust Kevin McStay was fair enough but the way they did it was foul
Pro-Israel countries to block Irish efforts to sanction Israel at EU summit
Brothers behind Irish franchises of Starbucks and TGI Fridays banned from acting as company directors
A memo circulated to staff said the way in which services will be expanded in each hospital will depend on local needs, and may involve a stepped increase, moving first to working five over six days.
The majority of staff affected by the changes are those working across a wide range of administrative, diagnostic and other support roles, and are members of Fórsa and Siptu.
According to the memo, staff hired after December 16th, 2008 – a large proportion of the total – would be obliged to co-operate with the changes. However, the intention is that volunteers will initially be sought.
The document suggests six- or seven-day rostering along with evening working may suit some individuals looking to be free for family obligations or other reasons during what would traditionally have been their working hours.
The latest agreement comes two years after the introduction of the new public-only consultant contract, which which provided for Saturday rostering as part of an effort to increase the number of senior decision makers on-site at evenings and weekends.
The introduction of the contract faced significant backlash from doctors’ unions at the time, but the majority of consultants have since signed up.
In light of the new changes, consultants are also set to face some rostering changes as services are extended over a longer week but their five over six day contracts will not be impacted with Sunday working continuing to be regarded as overtime.
Unions have previously raised concerns about staffing levels if hours of operation are extended, arguing that existing shortages in many areas will be exacerbated if the same number of workers are rostered over significantly more hours. They also point to the need for additional infrastructure, including beds.
“The core problem remains a capacity crisis — a shortage of beds, staff, and facilities — and any initiative that suggests otherwise risks creating a misleading sense of reassurance," said the Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association on Tuesday.
Professor Matthew Sadlier, chair of the Consultants’ Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation, meanwhile, said “wholesale recruitment of staff,” is required as well as “greater capacity in acute beds so that all patients, once deemed ill enough to be admitted, can be moved to an appropriate bed and treated in the right setting”.
Practical concerns previously raised by Fórsa and Siptu have also included how two staff might be rostered to cover one role across a 12-hour operational period in particular situations.
The memo being distributed on Tuesday, however, says any changes should be dependent on the maintenance of patient and staff safety.
In a statement, HSE chief executive, Bernard Gloster welcomed the agreement.
“We want to thank the unions for their engagement. This has been a priority of the Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill and the HSE, and we now look forward to implementing it, focusing on the two priorities of patient flow (ED) and the commencement of outpatient clinics outside routine hours.”
