Irish Medical Organisation officials have warned that patients are at risk as Irish hospitals can no longer recruit enough consultants.
The group described the numbers of those working as consultants who are not on the specialist register as “unacceptable” and an “indictment on the HSE and Government”.
The IMO cited a “discriminatory pay policy” among doctors and better conditions abroad for the shortage and warned that the situation would worsen.
Chair of the IMO consultant committee Dr Clive Kilgallen said the number of “vacant consultant posts is now in excess of 500” and they can’t be filled.
Dr Kilgallen warned: “The direct consequence of this crisis in consultant recruitment is the inability of our health services to provide timely care to patients, ever growing waiting lists which in many instances will lead to adverse outcomes for patients.’’
He said the solution “cannot and should not be that the HSE recruit doctors who are not on the specialist register to undertake these roles”.
According to the group consultants appointed since 2012 earn between 30-40% less than their colleagues appointed before this date.
Dr Kilgallen said there was “no justification for the cut which was 30% more than any other cuts imposed on the public service during the years of austerity”.
He warned that attempts to improve waiting lists without increased recruitment of consultants were “doomed to failure” as were attempts to recruit more consultant without dealing with pay conditions.
Details of the unpublished HSE report published in The Sunday Business Post revealed that one in every 20 doctors employed as a consultant was not on the specialist register.
Appearing on the specialist register indicates that the doctor has completed the relevant advanced training to become a specialist.
The report by the HSE’s National Doctors Training and Planning Unit revealed smaller and rural hospitals were worst affected and stated that there were no applicants for many post advertised.
It also revealed that in 2016 more doctors who qualified outside of Ireland than within the country joined the Medical Council Register and that since then it has taken an average of 22 months to hire a consultant.
