In a rather unprecedented move, former nursing union president Paul Pace has been appointed CEO at the Health Ministry, according to the Malta Union of Teachers. One of his tasks includes overseeing the logistics of a potential new nursing school, informed sources told this newsroom.
This decision to appoint Mr Pace as CEO comes after the University of Malta expressed dismay over the fact that a new nursing school was coming to Malta without them being officially informed. Individuals in the health profession also complained that Mr Pace would be heading the new school without having the right academic qualifications, describing his qualifications as ‘suboptimal’ to head a school of this sort.
It is also an unprecedented role which could be in direct conflict with that of the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry.
This newsroom sent questions to the health secretariat some three weeks ago, including a set of reminders, but got no replies on Mr Pace’s potential new role. Only today did the health ministry send its replies on the nursing school but chose not to comment on Mr Pace’s appointment except that it said there are no plans for Mr Pace to head the school.
In a letter to the Police Commissioner, MUT President Kevin Bonello wrote that Mr Pace was to be appointed CEO at the Health Ministry after heads of schools received an anonymous letter on Mr Pace. In its letter, the MUT, apart from stating Mr Pace’s new role, called on the Police Commissioner to investigate a breach of data protection after personal data of educators was leaked to third persons.
As for the school, this newsroom is informed that talks are underway and the new nursing school is expected to set up shop in Malta. Mr Pace had said that he had taken a personal initiative to identify the school – which forms part of Northumbria University.
In an interview with this newsroom following his resignation as president of the MUMN, Mr Pace had said when asked that he won’t pounce on any job offer made by the government.
“I will only accept an interesting and challenging job,” he said.
During the Forum general conference held earlier this week, Mr Pace said that he landed a new role in the health sector but stopped short of saying what exactly he will be doing. He said this after he did not contest for the post of Forum president.
In an interview with this newsroom, Health Minister Konrad Mizzi had confirmed Mr Pace had identified the school.
When this newsroom sent Mr Pace questions today, Mr Pace said that he referred our questions to the health division. This newsroom has been trying to establish contact with Mr Pace for the past week but to no avail. The week before, Mr Pace had said that he was not approached by government at the time but for all he knew, he may be approached this week. “I am not Nostradamus,” he said.
Ministry exploring various options to address nursing shortage, including Northumbria
While stating that the Northumbria University will not be opening up its new campus specifically at St Luke’s Hospital – as was reported by this newspaper – it did say that the Ministry for Energy and Health, in collaboration with the Ministry for Education and Employment and Malta Enterprise, are exploring various options in order to address nursing shortages, including Northumbria University.
“Plans for the re-development of St Luke’s Hospital have been made public last March and for which a Request for Proposals has been issued.
This newsroom has a copy of the Request for Proposals tied to the St Luke’s proposed Public-Private Partnership in hand where clause 1.7.4 states: ‘To build and equip a nursing university-level institution at St Luke’s Hospital, and after due consultation with government, to attract a technically competent operator to run such nursing college’.
The ministry said: “More specifically contacts have been established with a number of selected international University level Nursing Faculties including the Northumbria University, with whom the Government has already established an excellent rapport. Such contacts are in a very preliminary stage.
“This nursing education initiative will contribute to efforts being undertaken by the University of Malta to address the present shortages of nurses. The need for such an initiative is more pronounced in light of the investments which were announced in the past weeks in the health sector,” the health ministry said.
The MUMN president, Maria Cutajar, had told with this newsroom that the government had chosen the Northumbria University as its choice of school to open up in Malta.
She specifically said: “The government felt that once it had kick-started negotiations with Northumbria, it should continue holding talks with the school in question and therefore I can confirm that it is Northumbria which will be chosen.”