Unfilled Staffing posts at the Health and Social Services Department

1240/5(6993)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 10th JULY 2012

Question

"Will the Minister expand on her answers to oral question 6960 of 26th June 2012 by providing –

1. a  list of all  current unfilled  FTE posts across  all departments in  Health  and  Social Services(HSS), whether currently advertised or not, along with their respective grades;
2. a similar list of the additional 145 FTE posts needed in 2013 to start to deliver the new HSS strategy, including the increases to be delivered by the third sector, and advise whether any additional outsourcing has already taken place: and,
3. a list of those clinical staff approaching retirement by the end of phase 1 of the strategy in 2015?

Will the Minister further inform members whether she realistically expects to be able to deliver these  posts  by  2015  under  the  current  public  sector  wage  offer  of  0%  for  2012,  1% unconsolidated for 2013 and up to 3% subject to changes of terms and conditions for 2014, and if not, why not?"

Answer

a)  a list of current vacant FTE posts in HSSD is below. 196 vacancies out of a total workforce of 2311 FTE represents a vacancy rate of approximately 8.5%. HSSD cannot provide more detailed information about the status of these posts without undertaking a time intensive cross referencing process that will divert essential resources from priority tasks.

b  i)  a list of additional posts potentially required to deliver the initiatives outlined in the

White Paper is attached. This is a working document. It will change, subject to the States debate and the ongoing refinement of the White Paper business cases, hence the total FTE listed is different to that referred to in Question 6960.

b  ii)  It has been clearly established that HSSD envisages that the Third Sector and other

providers will have an active role in delivering new and/or extended community based  health  and  social  services.  This  will  almost  inevitability  require  the organisations that are successful at tender to increase their staff numbers, but that is a decision for those organizations not for HSSD.

It is possible that some of the new roles outlined in b i) may work out of third party organization as opposed to HSSD but this level of detail is not known at this early stage.

b  iii)  HSSD already outsources a range of services to Third Sector organisations, such as

FNHC, and has historically always done so.

c)  the number of medical staff due to retire by 2015 is 7. HSSD cannot produce a list of all clinical staff, including medical staff, due to retire without diverting essential resources from priority tasks.

Issues  relating  to  the  public  sector  wage  offer  form  part  of  ongoing  negotiation  and discussion  between  the  States  and  Trade  Unions.  Until  these  are  concluded  and  the outcome known I cannot comment on the potential impact, if any, on staff recruitment.

Potential additional staffing requirement associated (2013 – 2015)