Latest news with #staffingcrisis
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Expert group warned military air traffic control staffing issue would re-emerge
An expert group urged four years ago for a special payment to be given to military air traffic controllers to dissuade them from leaving the Defence Forces for the private sector. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. The group's report argued that problems with the operation of military air traffic control services would continue to emerge every few years if issues continued to be tackled on an ad hoc basis. The report, drawn up by a joint Department of Defence and Defence Forces group, recommended introducing a service commitment scheme that would boost pay for air traffic control personnel. READ MORE The report said 'stability must be ensured through retaining experience and stopping air traffic service personnel numbers dropping further'. It urged adopting a 'blended approach of incentives and undertakings' to minimise 'premature voluntary retirements'. 'Having a pathway for personnel who complete training to take up a role (and technical pay) specific to their skill set, or the ability to pay qualified controllers the appropriate technical pay after completing their training, would mitigate the impact of gaps within the unit,' the report said. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. Last week it emerged that an acute shortage of trained air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the Air Corps ' only base at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin, is expected to lead to military flight operations being restricted to a five-day-a-week, daytime-only schedule. [ Parlous state of Defence Forces once again laid bare Opens in new window ] The move will have huge implications for rescue, medical and policing services that use the Baldonnel airbase. The 505 Squadron, which is responsible for air traffic control, is supposed to have 21 personnel but in recent years it has been operating at about 50 per cent capacity. Five personnel are due to depart shortly for the private sector, necessitating the move to a reduced schedule, which takes effect from June 7th. The 2021 report recommended reforms to training, recruitment and retention. However, it warned that having non-military personnel run the air traffic service in its entirety or contracting it out to an external provider is 'not an option'. The report said there should be a minimum of 32 personnel in the air traffic control unit. It said personnel undergoing training should have to make a four-year commitment. [ State attempting to reach settlements with Air Corps chemical victims, Tánaiste says Opens in new window ] The Air Corps is responsible for air navigation in airspace designated for use by the Defence Forces. In 2016 the retirement of key personnel led to a restriction on operations. A full 24-hour service was restored in 2021. The joint review group was established to identify options for the long-term sustainability of the air traffic service at Baldonnel. The report said issues related to the air traffic service in the past were 'largely dealt with in an ad hoc manner'. 'Maintaining such an approach will lead to problems continuing or re-emerging from time to time every number of years.' It said the military air traffic service is 'a strategic asset' that ensures air connectivity for the State. 'Casement Aerodrome is the only secure military airfield within the State, and is itself a strategic asset. Military air traffic service plays a vital role in maintaining this capability and in ensuring the security of operations in interactions with other agencies,' the report said.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Senior Gisborne Hospital doctors on 24-hour strike, say hospital 'on the brink of collapse'
Fifty senior doctors from Gisborne Hospital walked off the job at midnight for a 24-hour strike. Photo: Liam Clayton / The Gisborne Herald Fifty senior doctors from Gisborne Hospital walked off the job at midnight for a 24-hour strike in protest of their working conditions. The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) told RNZ 45 percent of senior medical officer roles are currently vacant at the hospital, and it has written to the government twice to express concern about the hospital being "on the brink of collapse". Senior doctor Alex Raines said they did not make the decision to strike lightly, as it will impact patients. "There will be some delays in outpatient clinics and things, I was supposed to see a number of patients on Wednesday that I won't be able to see this week. "Honestly those delays are small compared to the delays we have every week just due to short staffing," he said. Raines worries about the impact on all hospital staff, and said senior doctors are severely understaffed. "We are all really struggling and quite exhausted trying to keep things afloat. In my department of general medicine we are reliant on locums to keep the department from closing. "It's really challenging and limits what we can do for planned care - we're basically just keeping our acute services running," he said. The doctors also went on strike on 1 May, to highlight the staffing crisis, but Raines said they are doing it again because there has been no response from Health NZ or the government. "So we're still waiting for some kind of plan or strategy on how to staff our hospital long term. "Looking ahead we have multiple staffing gaps and we have no idea how to fill them and how we are going to keep our services open," said Raines. Health NZ's chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan told RNZ it has been working hard with senior doctors in Tairāwhiti, as it has had challenges in recruiting senior staff into that region for many years. Dr Sullivan said locum doctors are supporting them, and permanent staff are on the way. "We have 11 permanent staff that have signed up to come over the coming months. But it does take time to recruit a senior doctor - particularly if they are coming from overseas by the time they go through the various steps," he said. Health NZ's chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel He said it was unfortunate the doctors are holding a second strike this month. "This will have an impact. We will have to reduce the number of operations we undertake and we will have to reduce the number of clinics - that's unfortuante for patients in that community," he said. "I just want to recognise the stress on the permanent staff at Gisborne Hospital - it's been tough for them as they've had unfilled shifts for many years. It is a challenge - I completey accept that," said Dr Sullivan. Gisborne Hospital's former chief medical officer Eric McClean told RNZ these challenges have been ongoing for years, and there are some complex reasons behind it. "The shortage of senior doctors has really put us in a bind. Considering the complexities of the patient demographic we get ... it's really a struggle to manage and demand keeps going up each year. "Patients are living longer and we're seeing them more. With the decrease of primary care and lack of preventative care we get huge demands coming into the hospital," he said. Dr McClean said that means the hospital becomes a default for a lot of patients who cannot see a GP. "So with that we're unable to maintain proper staffing levels for senior medical officers ... and it's all the other support services, things like administrative support. "It is extremely difficult to hire to new administrative positions - you'll have entire departments without a PA - meaning all that work, documentation and even copies of things have to be done by the clinicians themselves," he said. Which he worries is adding to their burden of work. "It takes us away from our core responsibility which is seeing patients and making sure they are getting better," he said. The message from Tairāwhiti's senior doctors to government is clear. "Invest in our hospital, invest in our community. We know our community deserves better," said Dr Raines. The senior doctors will be on strike until 11:59pm Wednesday, and are raising money for the Tairāwhiti Super Grans food bank while they are off the job. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Times
12-05-2025
- Health
- Times
A quarter of nurses' sick days are due to poor mental health
NHS nurses have taken almost 32.5 million days off sick over the past four years, nearly a quarter of them caused by mental health issues, according to data obtained by the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA). The number of nurses who took time off for reasons such as anxiety and depression rose from 42,020 in 2021-22 to 46,416 in 2024-25, the pressure group found. The figures were released after the TPA made freedom of information requests to all NHS trusts in England. They show that one in eight nurses took days off because of poor mental health at some point last year. Trades unions have said the issue contributes to the health service staffing crisis. Panic attacks, high blood pressure, chest pains and headaches are among the
National Post
09-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
New Report Shows For-Profit Staffing Agencies Drained $9.2 Billion From Ontario's Hospitals Over 10-Year Period
Article content CCPA research study exploring the intersection of hospital underfunding and growth of private staffing agencies to be released at Queen's Park on Monday morning Article content Article content TORONTO — The staffing crisis stemming from chronic underfunding of Ontario's hospitals has fueled a dramatic growth in the usage of for-profit staffing agencies to the tune of $9.2 billion, according to a new research study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Article content Drawing on data obtained from multiple sources including Ontario hospitals' financial documents, Hollowed Out: Ontario Public Hospitals and the Rise of Private Staffing Agencies takes a deep dive into the intersection between insufficient hospital funding and the proliferation of staffing agencies across the 14 regions of the province. The study points out the worst-affected regions and hospitals with respect to the reliance on agency usage and hospital deficits. Article content On Monday morning at Queen's Park, Andrew Longhurst, the author of the study, will be joined by Michael Hurley, the president of CUPE's hospital division, to reveal detailed findings from the in-depth research report as well as recommendations to address the hospital staffing crisis. Article content When: 11 a.m. on Monday, May 12 Where: Queen's Park Media Studio, 111 Wellesley St. W, Toronto What: Media conference to release findings of new research report about growth in private staffing agencies and underfunding of Ontario's hospitals Who: Andrew Longhurst, B.A. (Hons), M.A., political economist, PhD candidate, Simon Fraser University, and author of the new report. Previous publications include At What Cost? Ontario Hospital Privatization and the Threat to Public Health Care (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2023) and Failing to Deliver: The Alberta Surgical Initiative and Declining Surgical Capacity (Parkland Institute, 2023). Michael Hurley, President, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, CUPE since 1990 representing 50,000 Ontario hospital employees. Under his leadership, OCHU/CUPE has published numerous research reports on Ontario's hospitals including, recently, No Respite: Ontario's Failure to Plan for Hospital Patients (2024). Hurley has also co-authored multiple studies on health care workers including Sacrificed: Ontario Health Care Workers in the Time of COVID-19. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
