Physiotherapy graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs, but not because there aren't any. As Michelle McDonaghdiscovers, it has more to do with red tape
As waiting lists for physiotherapy services around the State continue to grow and hospitals are crying out for staff, 40 per cent of those who graduated in physiotherapy last year are still either unemployed or working outside the field.
The knock-on effect of the current unemployment crisis among physiotherapy graduates is that the demand for physiotherapy places has dropped by 30 per cent this year, according to the latest CAO statistics.
And the cause of this predicament is certainly not a shortage of job vacancies, but would appear to be largely down to the increased bureaucracy of the recruitment process under the HSE.
Two weeks ago, the HSE held a major national recruitment competition with the aim of forming a panel of physiotherapy graduates - there are 30 jobs on offer and a number of additional positions are expected to be offered over the next year.
Chief executive of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) Ruaidhri O'Connor explains that the recruitment process and the length of time it takes for the HSE to advertise a vacant post are the cause of many problems.
"In the old health boards, the physiotherapy manager could get approval locally, now local and national approval has to be got, which can take 10-12 months.
"It's an extra layer of bureaucracy. We know of a lot of basic grade vacancies which have not been filled," he says.
Of the 150 students who graduated in physiotherapy from Trinity, UCD, The University of Limerick and the College of Surgeons last year, 40 per cent have been unable to find jobs in the field.
Under the HSE's primary care programme, 87 new teams were established late last year, which include 82 physio posts at senior grade and another 126 teams will be established in 2007. The HSE has committed to filling these senior posts as soon as possible and this will free up basic grade posts.
ISCP chairwoman Fiona McGrath says there are significant waiting lists in many parts of the State for physiotherapy services. "It's not that we have an oversupply of services, there are waiting lists in almost all parts of the country and physiotherapy departments are crying out for staff," she explains.
Universities in New Zealand and a number of other countries are looking to recruit physios and many of the new graduates are threatening to emigrate if they don't get jobs in Ireland soon.
"It costs €25,000 per head to educate a third-level student in this area, that's €15 million a year spent on the education of physiotherapists and 40 per cent of graduates are working in Burger King. It would be a shame to see them leaving Ireland," O'Connor says.
A spokesman for the HSE explains that there are 30 vacancies for basic grade physiotherapists and 131 applications have been received from the 2006 cohort of Irish graduates.
The selection/interview process for the national panel is under way and will be completed by the end of this month.
"Currently there is a disproportionate balance of grades within some of the therapy professions with more senior grades than basic grades, resulting in fewer opportunities for graduate therapists.
"The HSE and the Department of Health and Children are currently working with the professional bodies and the staff representative organisation [ Impact] to ensure that employment opportunities exist for graduate therapists," said the HSE spokesman.
Fine Gael's health spokesman, Deputy Liam Twomey, says it is a disgrace that highly qualified individuals are not using their qualifications because the HSE is simply not taking them on.
"On the other hand, when I want to refer a patient for physiotherapy, I am told that the hospitals are too busy and there are no community physios available. People are not able to access physiotherapy services and nobody else can provide that expertise."
Joan O'Herlihy, who graduated in physiotherapy from the University of Limerick, took part in the recent HSE recruitment competition and is anxiously waiting to hear back. Since last June, she has been sending out CVs for jobs and not even getting shortlisted because of her lack of experience.
"A few years ago, graduates would have a job sorted out within four-five months of finishing college. I think a lot of people thought they would have jobs by Christmas, but we are all very concerned now.
"This was my second degree, I did science in Galway first so I had to take a large debt from the bank on board to pay my physiotherapy fees. I thought I would be earning a physiotherapy salary by now to repay that debt," she explains.
When Ciaran Murray, head physiotherapist for the Irish football team, graduated from Trinity in 1992, there was no problem getting locum or permanent positions in the field.
He worked in hospitals and in a private musculoskeletal clinic for a number of years before starting with the Irish team in 1995. He works 30-50 hours a year with the team when the international players come in to Ireland, most from their clubs in England, for games. He also runs his own private clinic in Dundalk.
Notwithstanding the current jobs crisis, Murray highly recommends physiotherapy as a career, pointing out that the majority of students go to work in the hospital environment in a variety of specialities while others opt to work in sports medicine.