The number of Healthcare Assistants employed in University Hospital Kerry is comparable to other similar hospitals.
That’s according to Chief Executive Officer of the South/South West Hospital Group, Gerry O’Dwyer.
He was responding to a question from Waterville councillor Norma Moriarty at the Regional Health Forum South.
Healthcare Assistants support registered nurses in order to maintain a safe and quality service delivery to patients.
There are currently 94 Healthcare Assistants employed in University Hospital Kerry, which corresponds to a total of 81 Whole Time Equivalent positions.
This level of assistants is comparable to the other Model 3 Acute Hospitals across the South/South West Hospital Group region, according to its CEO, Gerry O’Dwyer.
The filling of Healthcare Assistants roles is managed by the hospital in conjunction with the group’s HR department and the HSE National Recruitment Service.
There’s currently a Healthcare Assistant panel in place since last year, and a recruitment campaign has just closed, with interviews expected to take place on the first week of October.
When vacancies arise, the recruitment process is initiated, but to ensure the ongoing safe delivery of services, duties may be covered through redeployment, overtime or agency staff.
