asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the difficulty in getting applicants for posts as resident house physician and house surgeon in local authority hospitals; and if he is prepared to offer more advantageous terms to intending applicants so that recently-qualified practitioners in this country may be induced to apply for such appointments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Hospital Appointments.
6.
There has been some difficulty from time to time in filling vacancies in house posts in local authority hospitals. I cannot, however, accept the suggestion that the level of remuneration, which was substantially increased with effect from 1st April, 1961, is responsible for this. Factors which may induce young doctors to seek employment elsewhere than in those hospitals are the fairly common desire among young graduates who have recently completed a long and arduous course in our medical schools, to find an entirely new change of scene, to see other countries and to seek what they may regard as different experience elsewhere.
I am not satisfied that a further increase of remuneration at this stage would have the effect suggested by the Deputy.
The Deputy may be interested to learn that last year I introduced a scheme under which advanced medical students were employed in their vacation periods in local authority hospitals. This scheme was not, of course, an attempt to replace or dilute house staffs in the hospitals, but was designed to attract the students to take up intern or house posts in those hospitals after graduation, and to give them useful experience during their university course. The scheme was satisfactory—forty-six students were employed—and I propose to repeat it this year and subsequently.
Would the Minister not agree that an unusually high percentage of non-nationals are employed in the hospitals referred to?
I would agree there has been an increase in the number.
Would that not cause the Minister to think that it might be a good idea to increase the salary a little so as to encourage nationals to apply for these positions?
I should hate to do that because the Deputy would be again groaning about the burden on the ratepayers when the Budget comes on.