The Health Service Executive has said agreement has been reached with health unions on the introduction of an extended working day and week in the HSE and HSE-funded agencies.
The HSE said the overarching aim of the extended hours of service is to facilitate smoother patient flow and greater levels of discharge in all parts of the healthcare system over a seven-day week.
The agreement would see staff, such as consultants, social workers and administrative staff rostered over seven days, as opposed to five.
Greater staffing levels in hospitals at weekends has long been seen as a way of combatting overcrowding and waiting lists.
“We want to thank the unions for their engagement,” said HSE Chief Executive Bernard Gloster.
“This has been a priority of the Minister [for Health] Jennifer Carroll McNeill and the HSE, and we now look forward to implementing it, focusing on the two priorities of patient flow (ED) and the commencement of outpatient clinics outside routine hours,” Mr Gloster said.
The Minister for Health has described the deal as “extraordinary agreement” which will mean more healthcare staff will be working across weekends.
Speaking on her way into Cabinet, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said it is a huge change to work practices and it will mean “a good patient flow” while also getting more out of hospital infrastructure assets seven days a week.
“I am confident this is a much better, smarter way of working, a more predictable way for everyone and a much better patient experience.”
The minister also said she was bringing a memo to Cabinet on new patient safety standards across hospitals to ensure their processes are tested and that they are complying with international standards.
She said the legislation has been worked on “for a long time” and reflected on its importance urgently as she referred to cases of maternal deaths, the hips surgeries and also sepsis cases in Emergency Departments.
The HSE agreement was first reported by the Irish Independent.
‘Not the whole solution’ – Irish Medical Organisation
Professor Matthew Sadlier, Chairman of the Consultant Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said that this was part of the solution, but it was “not going to be the whole solution by itself”.
He said that more hospital beds would be the primary solution to the problem, but ultimately patients should expect the same care across the week whatever time it is they arrived on site.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Prof Sadlier said the IMO was not opposed to extended working days or working at the weekends but wants to make sure that work is productive and an adequate use of staff time.
He added that they did not want to see gaps in service elsewhere as a result of the move, and that more staff needed to be recruited.
‘Underlying and chronic issues’
Meanwhile, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said consultants have no issue working at weekends and have done so for decades.
“What we do welcome in this agreement is the provision of additional support staffing at weekends to enable our members to continue delivering care safely and effectively,” a spokesperson said.
“However, it must be acknowledged that there is a finite number of consultants in the system.”
“Simply rearranging rosters does not address the underlying and chronic issues facing our health service. The core problem remains a capacity crisis – a shortage of beds, staff, and facilities – and any initiative that suggests otherwise risks creating a misleading sense of reassurance,” the IHCA said.
Trade union engagement
The Fórsa trade union represents many of the health workers likely to be impacted by the extended hours service, including administrative staff.
In an update to members, the union said the agreement does not mean all services will be automatically changed.
“Where a service is considering changes in rostering arrangements and working hours, the HSE is required to engage in a process with staff and their trade union,” Fórsa said.
For staff employed before 16 December 2008, and who have not been promoted after that date, there is no obligation to change existing working arrangements, unless they agree to do so on a voluntary basis.
Staff employed after 16 December 2008, or who have been promoted since this date, where the service is changing, may be requested to change their roster.
Where there is disagreement between staff and management over extended services, there is a disputes procedure which consists of a referral to a Joint Review Group.
If no agreement is reached through this group the next step is to refer the dispute to an independent adjudicator, who will issue a recommendation on the changes.
“Any proposal to extend services must be based on maintaining safe staffing,” Fórsa said.
Balanced and sustainable
SIPTU described the principles of the extended service agreement as balanced and sustainable.
The union said the agreement includes provisions to protect staff welfare, ensure safe working conditions, and provide fair compensation for those participating in extended rosters.
SIPTU added that the extended services initiative is expected to be rolled out in the coming months, with unions and management continuing to engage on local implementation plans.
“The agreement marks a significant step forward in reshaping Ireland’s healthcare services while balancing the needs of patients and staff,” said SIPTU Health Divisional Organiser, Kevin Figgis.
“By ensuring robust protections and structured implementation, the HSE and the unions aim to deliver extended services sustainably, without compromising worker welfare or patient safety,” Mr Figgis said.
