HSE defends ‘cumbersome’ vaccinator application process

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has defended the vaccinator application process and insisted candidates do not need to provide Junior Cert results.

A spokesperson said the provision of details of education is not mandatory on the current form.

“The vaccinator recruitment application form does not ask for Junior Certificate results,” the HSE said.

“The form gives applicants the option to provide details of any third level qualification they wish to, and if they hold no third level qualification they may supply details of secondary school educational awards if they wish to. This part of the form can also be skipped.”

Recruitment company CPL is hiring vaccinators on behalf of the HSE.

The original application form was quite detailed and the HSE said this was amended last week to make it simpler for candidates.

Medical professionals have been slamming the application process as cumbersome.

GP Maitiu O Tuathail said it involves “mountains of paperwork and days of training for doctors who have given vaccines for years. There are barriers everywhere”.

The HSE has extended the deadline for applications on numerous occasions, but claims “this is not a result of any shortfall in applications”.

“The use of interim closing dates is a deliberate recruitment strategy to encourage applicants to submit their application form within designated time frames,” the spokesperson said.

“This approach is frequently used in recruitment campaigns to encourage applications over a protracted period of time.”

To date 3,372 applications have been received and 2,757 are eligible and going through the clearance process.

Of these, over 60pc of the eligible applicants are over half way through the clearance process and 684 are currently at the job offer stage dependent on candidates’ preference and the availability of vaccination centres.

The HSE said the only documentation required is proof of professional registration, occupational health, Garda vetting and one reference.

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