Bernard Allen
Question:87 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health the number of non-nationals appointed to hospitals in each of the health board areas; and the specialties to which they have been appointed as of 1 January 1993.
Written Answers - Hospital Appointments.
The total number of non-nationals appointed to hospitals at 1 January 1993 is not available. However, the number of non-national, non-consultant hospital doctors, employed on 1st October, 1992, the latest date for which information is available is as follows:
|
No. |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
278 |
|
Midland Health Board |
47 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
75 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
86 |
|
North-Western Health Board |
55 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
79 |
|
Southern Health Board |
95 |
|
Western Health Board |
90 |
|
805 |
The number of Registrar and House Officer posts filled by non-nationals, analysed by specialty is:
|
Registrar |
House Officer |
|
|
Accident, Emergency and Casualty |
5 |
30 |
|
Anaesthetics |
30 |
25 |
|
Medicine |
48 |
47 |
|
Obstetrics/ |
||
|
Gynaecology |
21 |
35 |
|
Paediatrics |
44 |
46 |
|
Pathology |
6 |
3 |
|
Psychiatry |
24 |
43 |
|
Radiology |
6 |
— |
|
Surgery (all specialities) |
121 |
201 |
|
305 |
430 |
The number of Intern posts filled by non-nationals at 1 October, 1992 was 70.
Bernard Allen
Question:88 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health the reason doctors being offered contracts are only being offered six month contracts at present; if he considers this to be one of the reasons so many of our junior doctors are emigrating; and his views on whether there is a major expense to the health board advertising these posts every six months.
As the Deputy is aware, Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) are doctors in training. The programmes laid down by the training bodies require NCHDs to gain experience in various specialities. This is typically broken into blocks of six months. Many NCHDs are participants in organised rotation schemes lasting 2-3 years made up of a varying number of six month blocks.
There has been no change in this system in recent times.
More general issues relating to the training of NCHDs have been addressed by the Collaborative Working Group on Medical Manpower. I have recently received a copy of the Group's report and I have decided to circulate it for discussion to all relevant parties very shortly.
In relation to the cost of advertising NCHDs posts, the Deputy will be aware that for some time, health boards have been co-operating in placing joint advertisements for these posts in newspapers.