Vol. 522 No. 3
5 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to tackle the serious medical manpower crisis in our hospitals; the number of consultant vacancies in hospitals; the number of non-consultant hospital doctor positions that will be vacant after 1 July 2000; the steps planned to fill these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18559/00]
The staffing requirements of hospitals and the deployment of staff within hospitals is a matter for local management, having regard to the services which hospitals are expected to provide. There are particular staffing difficulties being faced by the health services at present across a wide range of areas, particularly in the medical, paramedical and nursing areas.
Action is being taken on a number of fronts to address these difficulties. However, in relation to the medical staffing of hospitals, the issues are currently being addressed by the Medical Manpower Forum. With particular regard to non-consultant hospital doctors the forum is seeking to redress the imbalance between career posts and training posts, the need to improve post-graduate medical training to keep more Irish medical graduates in the country and the need to look at the position of women in medicine in Ireland with a view to redressing the number who leave medicine. The Medical Manpower Forum is due to publish its first report shortly.
The number of consultant posts is regulated by Comhairle na nOspidéal. According to Comhairle na nOspidéal, the consultant establishment on 1 January 2000 was 1,440. There were 147 vacant approved posts on that date. However, a post approved by Comhairle na nOspidéal is classified as vacant until an appointee takes up duty in a permanent capacity. In most instances, replace ment posts are filled by locums until the permanent appointee is installed. In relation to the filling of new consultant posts, I recently received and accepted the recommendations of a working group established to speed up the appointment process, namely, the time it takes from initial approval to putting a consultant in place. I have consulted with Comhairle na nOspidéal in respect of that issue.
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 for 1 July 2000. The situation is likely to remain fluid until then as an NCHD may have an offer of employment from more than one hospital. Accordingly, I am not at this time in a position to give a precise figure of the number of vacant posts on 1 July other than to say that about 132 of the approximately 3,000 posts remain unfilled as of Tuesday, 27 June. I expect further positions to be filled up to and after 1 July. Hospitals are exploring different options in an effort to ensure that essential posts are filled. In the event that some posts remain unfilled, hospitals will be asked to ensure that essential and critical services are not affected. With full co-operation from all concerned, and a commitment to making the best use of available resources, the effect on services can be minimised.
As I have said, while primary responsibility for the staffing of hospitals rests with hospital management, I am seeking the co-operation of the Opposition in amending the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, to extend the period of temporary registration for NCHDs from five to seven years. This will remove one obstacle for some NCHDs and allow them to remain and work in Ireland.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome the fact that he has finally agreed to bring forward an amendment to the Medical Practitioners Act, although I fear that its arrival is too late to have any real impact at this stage. The Opposition will support the Minister's amending legislation but it has not yet been published. In that regard, every day counts and people whose contracts are nearing their end are already making alternative arrangements. The retention of even one position would be valuable in the current situation.
It is strange that the Minister's reply was so vague. What does the Department estimate will be the impact of changing the contract period from five to seven years? Will 20 positions, two positions or 30 positions be retained as a result of this development?
I suggest to the Minister that his open-ended and vague comment that the effect on services can be minimised is simply not adequate. Will he inform us how he and his Department intend to ensure that the impact on services is minimised? What action is being taken to fill the vacancies that will arise? In terms of accident and emer gency services and the provision of anaesthetics, what specific strategy is the Minister putting in place to ensure that patients will be guaranteed such services? Does he accept that the tragic case to which he referred in the previous question may well be replicated?
Will the Minister indicate the number of hospitals which will be directly affected by the fact that NCHD positions have not been filled and will not, it appears, be filled by 1 July? Newspaper reports indicate that six county hospitals will be affected, although reference was also made to Tallaght.
I have not been in contact with a number of health boards about the position, but we are introducing the amending legislation this week and hope to put it through both Houses on Friday. The Opposition has tabled a vote of no confidence in the Government to which the Government has responded with a motion of confidence which must also be taken on that day. However, it is hoped that the Bill, which was published today, will be passed by the Dáil and the Seanad by Friday. We estimate that this measure will help to secure 20 posts.
The position relating to the remaining vacant posts is very fluid. Only yesterday, for example, I met representatives of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and I was informed about a particular hospital which is short a doctor. I contacted the hospital in question last week and was informed that there are no shortages.
We have exceeded the time allowed for this question and we must proceed to Question No. 6.
