Over 300 consultants required – Burke

The Health Service Executive must prioritise the recruitment of hospital consultants according to Fine Gael Cork North Central Senator and the Party’s Seanad Spokesperson on Health, Colm Burke. 

“In real terms 300 new medical consultants are required to fill vacancies which currently exist and which will arise over the next twelve months.

“I welcome the decision of the Irish Medical Organisation Members to accept the Labour Relations Commission proposals on new pay scales.  It is an important decision and it is now a priority for the HSE to make every effort to fill the posts which are currently vacant.

“While currently the HSE have acknowledged that there are over 200 vacant consultant posts, it is likely that at least a further 100 consultants will retire or leave the Irish hospital system over the next twelve months. The HSE should therefore start planning the filling of these posts as the vacancies arise.

“We currently have over 2,500 approved posts, however the Hanley Report 2003 recommended that by 2012 there should be 3,600 consultants employed in our hospital system.  Therefore the number of approved posts is currently 1,100 short of the target that was set over 12 years ago. We should now set out a clear timeframe for the implementation of the recommendations of the Hanley Report.

“Over the last two weeks the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children has heard evidence from a number of different groups of the substantial increase in the number of medical negligence claims.  Some of these claims have arisen as a direct result of understaffing and doctors being required to work long hours.

“If we want to cut the number of medical negligence claims we must increase the number of medical consultants.

“People are rightly criticising the long delays in accessing hospitals for elective surgery.  If we want to cut these waiting lists we have to employ more medical consultants and make better use of our hospital facilities.

“We have a long road to travel if we want to bring our health service up to the standard of other European Union countries.   The first of many of these steps is the employment of additional people who have the expertise to deliver the health service that is required.”