Highest Growth for OTs Among HSCPs in Acute Hospitals Projected in New ESRI Report

A new ESRI report says that acute hospitals will require thousands more healthcare staff by 2035 and among HSCPs the highest per annum growth is projected for occupational therapists.

The ESRI research, funded by the HSE, provides projections of public acute hospital workforce requirements both nationally and regionally in Ireland between 2019 and 2035. This is a Phase I report as part of a broader research programme to develop regional workforce projections. In the report, the regional workforce projections are presented in terms of both hospital groups and Regional Health Areas (RHAs). 

Main findings

• Nationally, the population is projected to be 5.4 million by 2035, an increase of close to 500,000 between 2019 and 2035. The number aged 85 years and older is projected to more than double.
• Driven by projected demographic change, particularly population ageing, workforce requirements for all staff categories examined are projected to increase substantially by 2035. The largest increases in workforce are projected for health and social care professionals who are particularly required by older people in hospital.
• The largest projected increases in workforce requirements are recorded for regions located in the east of the country.

By 2035 the ESRI project additional workforce requirements for:

• health and social care professions which are higher, in terms of overall growth rates, relative to other workforce categories examined. Most notably, highest per annum growth is projected for occupational therapists (2.7–3.3 per cent) and speech and language therapists (2.3–3.3 per cent). As with other workforce categories examined, larger projected WTE requirements overall are reported in RHAs in the east of the country.
• medical staff of between 2,575 and 3,236 whole time equivalent (WTE), nationally, representing an increase of between 1.7 and 2.1 per cent on average per annum. Across scenarios the highest projected regional increase per annum was 2.2 per cent, recorded in the east of the country (RHAs A and B).
• nursing and midwifery staff of between 5,726 and 8,868 WTE, nationally, representing an increase of between 1.4 and 2.1 per cent on average per annum. Across scenarios the highest projected regional increase per annum was 2.2 per cent, recorded in the east of the country (RHAs A and B).
• healthcare assistants and health and social care assistants of between 1,802 and 3,277 WTE, nationally, representing an increase of between 1.7 and 2.9 per cent on average per annum. Across scenarios the highest projected regional increase per annum was 5.2 per cent, recorded in the south of the country (RHA C).

The full report is available here: https://www.esri.ie/news/public-acute-hospital-workforce-requirements-set-to-increase-across-all-geographic-regions-as