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healthcare

Healthcare Salary Outlook 2022

Posted on | by Editorial Team

Industry Overview

There are significant concerns for the long-term effects of the pandemic on the nursing home workforce and healthcare salary outlook. Candidates are reporting experiencing burnout, and described the physical, mental, and emotional burden of staff shortages, increased case loads and the overall changes to nursing that the last 2 years has brought.

Burnout is an important contributor to staff turnover which is an ever-increasing problem in Irish nursing homes. Our clients are highlighting an increased turnover of Healthcare Assistants in particular, with many being lost to the public health service or to private hospital roles which are viewed as less physically and emotionally demanding.

In addition, Nursing Homes are facing considerable costs and operating losses due to the pandemic along with PPE supply chains and testing capacity.

Fresh thinking and government initiatives such as a continuation in payment assistance schemes will be critical in the years to come as it will support and develop this workforce.

The number of people aged over 65 is projected to rise by nearly 60 per cent by 2031, while the number of people aged over 85 is anticipated to increase by 95 per cent over the same period.

More needs to be done on a larger scale to provide stability in residential care.

Non-EEA Recruitment

The Covid-19 pandemic also led to a drop in overseas recruitment of nurses. This would normally make up a significant proportion of new entrants to the register. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has rebuffed claims of 3-month delays on permits for nurses and these are now being dealt with in a matter of days.

Evidence within the healthcare sector suggests that there is increasing competition for skilled candidates in several healthcare roles. Despite increased efforts to recruit from the Irish and European labour markets, including through engagement with the Department of Social Protection where supply had not met demand.

Over the summer, the government announced changes to the work-permit system, permitting employers to recruit staff from outside the European Union. Under this move, healthcare assistants will be immediately eligible for employment permits. Similar to changes made to chef permits in 2018, these permits have the potential to provide longer term stability for nursing homes in a market where candidates are increasingly moving between employers.

Looking to 2022

Flexibility is the key word coming through from candidates this year. Given the nature of how healthcare works, provision of this style of work is not practical to the extent that it may be in other industries. Candidates understand this but there is always ways that employers can give potential employees a sense of flexibility.

Even if this is something like introducing a cohesive system for shift swapping. This would meet this need and we can see candidates choosing these benefits over financial gain. Another nursing trend that we expect to see in 2022 is a growth in the number of nurses pursuing higher education. Employers can capitalise on this desire to upskill or retrain by streamlining available funding systems to access further education. COVID-19 has affected nurses deeply. The pressures of the pandemic have exacerbated workforce vulnerabilities and thoroughly exasperated many nurses and healthcare support staff. This has led to one in five considering leaving frontline work. COVID-19 might just be the catalyst that drives improvement in management, technology, and processes to help keep more nursing staff doing what they do best.

Get In Touch

If you’re looking for a recruitment partner or you wish to find a job in Healthcare, please visit our Healthcare section on our website by clicking here. Alternatively, you can email us at info@excelrecruitment.com.

View: Healthcare Salary Guide 2022

Agency Healthcare Jobs Benefit

Working for an Agency: Top 5 Benefits for Healthcare Staff

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

It’s 2019, and there’s never been more opportunities out there for healthcare staff to gain experience, try new disciplines and expand their skill set. Joining an agency could be the best way to do just that. Healthcare Consultant Joseph Dunleavy on 5 reasons that you should be considering agency work:

Varied work

It’s a great way to try out different facilities and settings in order to see what you enjoy the most. Most agencies will have a variety of different clients with varying needs. From geriatric care, to psychiatric and acute care, you will often be able to gain valuable insight into what it takes to work in each specific setting. Nursing homes, hospitals, residential care and rehabilitation are some of the options that could be open for exploration. You will pick up valuable skills along the way which will undoubtedly stand to you if/when you decide to apply for full-time employment.

Equal pay opportunities for all staff

Due to the AWD Act 2012, all agency staff must be paid at least equally to permanent staff in the facility they’re working. In fact, agency staff can sometimes be paid a higher rate than the permanent staff depending on the agency’s agreement with the client. So, you can rest easy knowing that you will be fairly compensated for your hard work, regardless of where you work.

Flexible hours

With agency work, you are not required to work a set number of hours per week. You simply let your consultant know your availability, and they will be in touch when they have shifts on your chosen days/nights. This means that even if you are already in full-time employment, you have the option of working with an agency to supplement your current income. Many agency staff who are not employed full-time, end up working ongoing in their favourite client, but with the added benefit of knowing they can choose their own availability. This is particularly useful for people with family commitments or student nurses with limited availability.

Potential permanent job

Working with an agency also opens the door for permanent employment with one of the agencies clients’. If you find yourself looking for a more concrete roster and have been working well within a specific client, there is always the possibility that the client will offer you a permanent contract. This has the added benefit of essentially being a trial run for both the client and the candidate, so there are no surprises for either side when you begin your permanent job. This also serves as a valuable networking experience as you meet large number of healthcare professionals in various settings.

Weekly payments and holiday pay

Often employers have monthly payroll which means you’re waiting 4 weeks for your next pay-check. Agencies generally pay weekly, meaning you don’t have to wait for the money you’ve earned. You’re also entitled to holiday pay, which is accrued depending on how much you work. And you’re free to take your holidays whenever you want – provided you give the notice stipulated in your contract.

While there can be certain downsides to agency work, such as the lack of guaranteed hours (shift availability depends on client demand/need), it’s very clear that there are a lot of attractive benefits that will appeal to a large number of healthcare staff. Even if already in full-time employment, agency work can be an added bonus with many positives. If the above sounds appealing, feel free to get in touch with any of our fantastic healthcare recruiters for more information and to set up an interview.

 

 

 

€1.2bn in funding needed for nursing homes

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

A surge in the cost of construction means an estimated minimum of €1.2bn in new investment is needed to avoid a major nursing home bed shortage.

According to experts, the ‘cost per bed’ of building nursing homes has risen 20%. The price has now risen to more than €160,000, a rise that is said to be discouraging the development of long-term residential care homes. Increased competition for suitable sites from the residential housing sector is also pushing up costs according to Independent.ie while the amount paid by the Government’s Fair Deal scheme for nursing home fees has not kept pace with the rapidly rising cost of building meaning the problem has become particularly severe in rural areas.

“With Dublin benefiting from more attractive Fair Deal rates and better access to staffing, the expected level of nursing homes built in counties with lower Fair Deal rates may not materialise,” said Hilary Coates, head of Healthcare at Bank of Ireland.

Research by the bank has found that Ireland’s ageing population means that the country faces a nursing shortfall of 7,500 beds by 2026. CBRE Healthcare director Cormac Megannety said that he is also seeing the same trends in the nursing home market.

“We have seen a lot of interest from big European funds in this sector, some of which has translated into deals,” said Megannety.

“But no one is looking at building nursing homes in the countryside. The economics don’t work in rural Ireland,” he added.

In recent weeks there has been an uptick in activity with the biggest players in the market benefiting from investment by major UK and European investors.

Last week AXA Investment Managers announced that it had bought a portfolio of 10 Irish nursing homes, which will be operated by Mowlam Healthcare – the biggest Irish operator.

Andrew Ovey, who led the investment for AXA IM, declined to say whether the fund would invest further in the Irish nursing home sector.

“I think the market has expansion potential,” Ovey said. “But the level of fragmentation is phenomenal.”