Doctors to address Committee on Future of Mental Health Care on issue of emigration of medical graduates

Representatives from the National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) will brief the Committee on issues around the recruitment and retention of doctors.

“Our public health service is already dangerously understaffed and every year, substantial numbers of medical graduates opt to leave Ireland upon completing their training”, said Committee Chair, Senator Joan Freeman. “Irish doctors are attracted by better working conditions, training and career opportunities in other English speaking countries. Meanwhile, the Irish health service continues to struggle to recruit and retain doctors. There is an obvious lack of strategy on the part of the health service to address this and we must ensure that better conditions, pay and career opportunities are offered to our doctors. Tomorrow we will meet with the NDTP to discuss strategies for stemming the flow of doctors out of Ireland, which is in itself a big contributor to the crisis in our health services.”

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here