The Health Ministry has tabled a bill to exempt from a legal cap the secondment of more than 80 State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) staff needed for the new National Ambulance Service, due to start on 1 January 2027.
The explanatory report accompanying the bill warns that being unable to second the staff needed could cause serious operational difficulties in providing emergency pre-hospital care.
Under current law, permanent employees can be seconded up to a limit of 80 or 15 per cent of an organisation’s permanent staff, whichever is lower. The bill would remove that limit for staff seconded from the SHSO to the Health Ministry for the ambulance service. It does not give an exact number of staff to be moved.
Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides presented the plans to parliament along with his ministry’s 2027 budget. The service’s spending is budgeted at 19.75 million euros, with expected revenue of 17.85 million euros from the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) as reimbursement for its services.
The budget also includes 3 million euros to buy new ambulances and equipment, aimed at improving the response to emergencies.
With the planned start date approaching, the legislation on secondments, which is needed to staff the service, has yet to be passed.
