Health and Wellness
With regard to the announcement by her Department that more than 800 new posts, including 316 nurses and 124 doctors, will be added as part of the 2026/27 health budget:
(a) At which hospitals, clinics or other health facilities will these health professionals be allocated or placed, (b) what is the timeline for the recruitment and appointment process and (c)(i) how many of these health professionals have already been appointed and placed as at the latest date for which information is available and (ii) at which facilities have they been placed?
(a) The allocation is across all districts and hospitals according to need, as part of the Department’s drive to stabilise the staffing situation. Managers across the Department have the delegated authority to adjust these allocations, in accordance with the staffing needs as it unfolds over time, within the allocated budget.
(b) Most posts are filled within a 3 month period, from becoming vacant, and/or being newly created. The Department has put many measures in place to streamline the recruitment and appointment process.
(c)(i) and (ii) It should be noted that the workforce of the Department is always subject to new appointments, resignations and general attrition patterns.
Since the start of the 2026/27 financial year on 1 April the Department has appointed 100 doctors and 121 nurses, respectively from all vacancies. The information and the hospitals/facilities are reflected in the table attached.
