Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:
169
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the way in which he will reduce waiting lists when consultants are being advised to draw up their own plans to reduce activity so that some level of service can be maintained if non-consultant hospital doctors' numbers continue to decrease as predicted.
[16429/00]
Bernard Allen
Ceist:
170
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the way in which he will reduce waiting list targets when there is a serious manpower shortage.
[16430/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together.
It is my intention to pursue continual reductions in waiting lists and waiting times for hospital treatment. In this context, following a series of discussions with the chief executive officers of the health boards, I recently announced a £10 million initiative aimed at maximising available capacity in the system to enable an additional 7,600 waiting list procedures to be performed before the end of the year. This funding will be allocated on the basis of the performance of each agency in reaching the activity targets they have agreed. The proposals to be funded are based on a series of innovative measures including use of facilities during the traditional summer closures period, cross-contracting arrangements between agencies and from the private sector, extended theatre and ward opening times, extended weekend work and the contracting of activity from hospitals in Northern Ireland.
These short-term measures are being taken in tandem with longer term measures associated with the £2 billion investment under the national development plan, the ongoing implementation of the recommendations of the expert review group on the waiting list initiative and the national bed capacity review now under way. It is my intention to continue to take all available steps to address the short and longer term issues associated with lengthy waiting lists and waiting times.
Health service employers and the Health Service Employers Agency are continuing to monitor the take-up of employment offers made to non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, for 1 July 2000. The situation is likely to remain fluid for a number of weeks to come as an NCHD may have an offer of employment from more than one hospital. Hospitals are exploring all options in an effort to ensure that essential posts are filled.
With regard to the decision of the Medical Council to introduce an examination for non-EU nationals entering the health services here, I would like to state firstly that the Medical Council is an autonomous statutory body established by the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978. Its functions include registering all medical practitioners in this country, fitness to practice and ensuring that junior doctors working in our health service have received a very high standard of training and education. Its membership is made up largely of medical professionals. It is also important to note the Medical Council here works independently from the General Medical Council in Britain.
The Medical Council decided some years ago to introduce an examination for doctors outside the European Union seeking temporary registration in Ireland. Overseas doctors, EU and non-EU, account for about a third of non-consultant hospital doctor posts. These doctors have played and I am sure will continue to play a very important role in providing a quality service in our hospitals. This assessment procedure was introduced by the Medical Council to ensure that all medical trainees, both EU and non-EU nationals, are of the highest standard.
The Medical Manpower Forum is addressing the issue of medical staffing in hospitals. The forum will issue its first report shortly and its recommendations will address this issue.
In the event that some junior doctor posts remain unfilled, hospitals will be asked to ensure that essential and critical services are not affected. I am confident that with full co-operation from all concerned, and a degree of imagination in making the best use of available resources, the effect on services can be minimised.
