Anyone hired under the South West Regional Health Authority on a monthly-paid basis for either COVID or regular services will no longer have their contracts renewed.
This was stipulated in a letter sent by the SWRHA’s chief executive officer Dr Brian Armour on October 25 which took effect immediately.
In the letter, Dr Armour said the Human Resource department is barred from engaging in short-term employment for all categories of monthly paid staff.
“This applies to any locum medical practitioners, short-term hires for nurses or non-clinical staff for either COVID related or regular services. By extension, applications for leave as a prior justification for short-term hires is to cease,” Dr Armour said.
He noted that Heads of Departments must ensure that leave granted is not disruptive to departmental functioning in the first instance.
“Leave relief, if still required, has to now involve temporary reassignment of staff from another department,” he said.
Noting only the Human Resource Department can convey the approval of acting arrangements, Dr Armour said employees must assume duty only after given written approval.
He noted that anyone who works without written approval will not be paid.
“The employee may also see a medicolegal risk to be borne by the errant supervisor who authorizes these unauthorised arrangements,” Dr Armour said.
He explained that anyone who is hired must go through the appropriate process.
“Good industrial relations practices must ensure terms and conditions are a minimum of one year to ensure that the officer has requisite leave and terminal benefits entitlement during and at the end of the contract respectively,” Dr Armour said.
However, a source said these new stipulations will affect service to the public. The source said District Health Services are handled by retired midwives hired on a short-term basis. The source explained that retired doctors also assist in clinics and their experience has been invaluable to the proper delivery of medical care.
“When someone goes on leave, we would like to know what will happen if there is no short-term hire. This will put a strain on departments because people will have to be reshuffled to pick up the slack especially in the clerical department,” the source said.
Although trainees have been hired for District Health services, the source said there was still a need for the services of qualified midwives as the trainees do not have the requisite training in midwifery.
Contacted for comment, communications manager at SWRHA Kevon Gervais said “while the Authority reserves commentary on the management of our internal operations, we wish to reiterate the contextual intent of recent information relayed to staff.
“The information relayed should not be construed that SWRHA is terminating short term employment of staff. The efforts of offering better contract terms and conditions to existing monthly paid staff on serial short term hire is the focus,” he said.
He added, “Therefore with current staffing levels and existing policies, a return of focus to leave rostering and departmental arrangements for existing staff proceeding on leave are expected and encouraged and therefore negates the need for short-term or temporary new first time hires.”
Gervais said service delivery to clients will be strengthened under the new arrangements.
