Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1413. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the projected costs of fully funding the safe staffing framework; the projected costs of growing the nursing and midwifery workforce by 2,000 WTEs annually for the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37100/23]
View answerThe Framework for Safe Staffing is an evidence-based approach to determine safe staffing and skill mix for nursing that is fully supported by Government and being implemented by the HSE. It is determined by patient need and demonstrates impact through the measurement of a range of outcomes. The Framework methodology uses new posts along with conversion of agency to permanent posts to achieve the required workforce stability. Nursing posts are a combination of Registered Nurses (RN) and Health Care Assistants (HCA) and this combination refers to the skill-mix.
Since 2018, two safe staffing policy documents have been published, Phase 1 focused on Adult General and Specialist Medical and Surgical Care Settings. Phase 2 focused on Adult Emergency Care Settings.
The Government had already invested €31 million since 2020 to support implementation of the Framework and I recently allocated funding of €25 million to recruit 854 additional posts needed to continue to implement the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in all acute hospitals nationally based on the HSE’s implementation plan.
I have recently written to the six Hospital Group CEOs, requesting that they ensure that the implementation plan, for both Phases of the Framework, is urgently disseminated to all senior hospital managers within their respective Hospital Groups and that the implementation of both phases of the Framework is prioritised. This work will include consideration of any further funding which might be required.
Phase 3(i) - Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix in Long Term Residential Care Settings Pilot Project is ongoing, and national policy will become available in due course, with associated costings to follow shortly thereafter.
Regarding the costs involved in increasing the nursing and midwifery workforce, the total cost ( full year) of employing one additional nurse/midwife is estimated to be €71,880. This is calculated by using the mid-point of the enhanced nurse/midwife scale (€43,272 as at 1 March, 2023), and includes additional costs such as PRSI, relevant allowances and non pay costs.
Therefore, the total cost of increasing the workforce by 2,000 nurses and midwives would be circa €144 million annually, incurring additional costs of €144 million in Year 1, €288 million in Year 2 and €431 million in year 3 and every year thereafter.
