MORE PEOPLE were working in the health service this year than last year, Minister for Health Mary Harney said yesterday.
She was responding to questions about an Irish Timesreport which revealed that nearly 2,700 posts in the health service had gone unfilled since the controversial recruitment restrictions were implemented last autumn.
Ms Harney was speaking at a sod-turning ceremony for a new 30-bed unit at the Royal Hospital in Donnybrook, Dublin.
Next year there would be more people working in the health service than this year, the Minister added.
She gave the example of the Health Service Executive's commitment to provide 50 new staff for the Donnybrook hospital at an annual cost of €3 million.
Yesterday The Irish Times revealed details of a financial report given to the board of the HSE last week which said that overall numbers employed in the health service had fallen for seven months in a row.
The new unit at the voluntary hospital will cost €7.5 million and is being entirely funded by a capital grant from the HSE.
This project was practical evidence that the Department of Health and the HSE were committed to providing continuing care bases for patients with complex medical needs, Ms Harney said.
The new beds would contribute to easing the considerable pressure in acute hospital wards, she added.
The 30 new beds will be devoted to complex continuing care, which is interdisciplinary care for patients with progressive chronic illnesses and complex medical needs.
It will bring the number of in-patient beds at the hospital to 230.
