Department of Health data shows little difference between rosters of POCC staff and all other consultants
The introduction of the new public only consultant contract has not translated to a shift in working patterns, new data from the Department of Health suggests.
A recent analysis of recent HSE roster data by the Department of Health highlighted that:
- Approximately 80 per cent of consultants are rostered during the day, Monday- Friday, with most weekend cover being provided by an on-call service.
- 12 per cent of consultants are rostered to work in the evenings (not including on-call staff)
- 11 per cent of consultants are rostered on a Saturday and six per cent on a Sunday (not including on-call staff).
Outlining plans to reduced ED overcrowding by delivering urgent care over seven days, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill highlighted that levels of evening and Saturday work among clinicians signed up to the POCC is broadly in line with other consultants.
Preliminary breakdown of how all consultants are being rostered currently (sample week) for all sites including community, public health and corporate functions (Source: DoH).
Preliminary breakdown of how Public Only consultants are being rostered currently (sample week) for all sites including community, public health and corporate functions (Source: DoH).
As of the end of February, 62 per cent of consultants had signed up to the POCC. Introduced in March 2023, the contract promised to provide for evening, extended out-of-hours and Saturday rostering. A core objective of POCC is to enhance senior decision-making presence on-site.
“The public only consultant contract providing for rostered work from 8am-10pm Monday to Friday, and 8am-6pm on Saturdays, however the majority of consultants are still only rostered during the day Monday-Friday,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill.
“Our attention must now be focused on realising the benefits of the public only consultant contract by maximising the use of the hours in the contract to increase access to services in the evenings and at weekends.
“This is essential for our emergency departments, our waiting times and our broader use of existing hospital infrastructure. We will approach these in a sustained and sequential way over the next six and twelve months to achieve the best possible use of all our healthcare assets – most importantly our excellent health care staff on whom our patients depend.”
The Minister also published the Productivity and Savings Action Plan for 2025, which will be overseen by the Productivity and Savings Taskforce.
Last year, the HSE delivered savings of €251 million, substantially below the €424 million target set out for 2024 last April.
This year the HSE has set a goal of a further €382 million in savings, with a total cumulative saving of €633 million estimated by the end of 2025.
Savings are expected to be focused on four key areas – savings measures and financial reform; service level productivity measures; workforce improvements; and virtual care and ICT reforms.
In a statement, the Department of Health described the plan as a ‘living document’ that may be updated and amended throughout the year.
“Through identifying areas where savings can be made, it will ensure that we can better support our frontline staff and healthcare professionals, which ultimately will ensure better outcomes for our patients,” Minister Carroll MacNeill added.
“Our goal is to create a health service that is not only patient-centred, but also a financially efficient one to ensure a healthier future for all.”
Savings made last year included cuts in medicine expenditure of €54 million and management consultancy savings of €34 million.