Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of diabetes care staff vacancies in each Health and Social Care Trust.
Minister of Health: Staff recruitment is the responsibility of HSC Trusts, as the employers. The Trusts have advised that they are at various stages of recruitment for posts within diabetes care services, some awaiting start dates. Trusts are also using temporary contracts, peripatetic staff and bank/agency workers, where they are available, to fill staff gaps.
A key area of work being progressed by the Diabetes Network is to develop a regional pathway for diabetes across Northern Ireland. This will consider primary and secondary care alignment to develop a new model of care to best support people living with diabetes. My Department is also working closely with the Diabetes Network to undertake a Programme of Care Workforce Review for Diabetes. This involves working with HSC Trusts to gather workforce data on the breadth of roles involved in diabetes care. A working group has been established to consider and undertake the preliminary work. This will ensure that the required baseline workforce and service user information will be available to support the Workforce Review. It is anticipated that the Workforce Review will commence in 2022/23, subject to the necessary preliminary work being completed. As such, the detail of diabetes care vacancies is not yet available.
ENDS
Your MLA 