Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 28 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 4

Written Answers. - Medical Laboratory Staff.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

157 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of additional graduate laboratory positions which have been created in the health services in the past five years; the number of similar type graduates which are being produced; if the third level institutions are producing too many graduates; if the Academy of Medical Laboratory Science is a Government agency; if he has an input into this body; if they are preventing graduates from taking up positions due to overly strict criteria; if the vacancies in the health service need to be designated as training positions; if there are differences in the way in which individual health boards operate, vis-à-vis the academy; if some health boards designate all positions as training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10958/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I presume the Deputy is referring to the grades of medical laboratory technician and medical laboratory technologist, which are shortly to be redesignated as medical scientist and senior medical scientist respectively, as recommended in the report of the expert group on medical laboratory technician-technologist grades, recently approved by the Government.

The number of medical scientist personnel employed in the health service at 31 December 1995 and 31 December 2000 is as detailed in the accompanying table. Figures in respect of 31 December 2001 are being collected by my Department at present and will be available in the near future.

The Deputy will be aware of the difficulties currently being experienced in both the recruitment and retention of key health care professionals, including medical scientist staff. An additional 20 training places for medical scientists were put in place from October 1999 to meet the emerging workforce planning needs of the profession. More recently, the expert group examined this issue and recommended that the number of undergraduate places available nationally be increased to 100 to meet future requirements. I understand good progress is being made towards this objective.

The expert group also recommended that the supply-demand balance for qualified medical scientist personnel be kept under review in the light of prevailing circumstances. The requirement for qualified medical scientist staff for the implementation of the health strategy, including the provision of diagnostic facilities to support the planned expansion in bed capacity in the acute hospital sector and plans for the expansion nationwide of the cervical screening programme, is likely to be relevant in this regard.

In addition to these developments, a new arrangement has recently been agreed to alleviate shortages of medical scientist personnel where they exist. A one year trainee programme for science graduates who do not meet the requirements for appointment to the grade of medical scientist is being introduced to allow suitably qualified graduates to become eligible for appointment to the grade. The programme is being overseen and validated by the Academy of Medical Laboratory Science. The scheme is intended to facilitate broader access to the medical scientist profession. It is not intended, in general, to substitute current vacancies for trainee posts.

The Deputy may wish to note that under section 18 of the Health Act, 1970, the Minister for Health and Children sets the criteria and qualification levels for entry into the medical scientist profession. The Academy of Medical Laboratory Science is the professional body representing the majority of medical laboratory technologists-technicians in Ireland. Under the EU Directive for the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, the academy functions as the designated authority, with the approval of the Minister for Health and Children, for the validation of overseas qualifications, and the academy also plays a key role in supporting the provision of high-quality pathology services in the health sector by evaluating and advising on the education and training necessary to practise competently as a medical scientist in Ireland.

I am not aware of any differences or lack of uniformity in relation to the interaction of individual health boards with the academy, bearing in mind that qualification levels are laid down for the profession on a national basis.

The number of medical laboratory technicians-technologists employed in the health service at 31 December 1995 and 31 December 2000:

Grade	1995	2000	Increasein Posts
Med. Lab Technologist, Chief I	41	52	11
Med. Lab Technologist, Chief II	26	33	7
Medical Laboratory Technician	686	955	269
Medical Laboratory Technician, Senior	196	224	28
Medical Laboratory Technologist	133	160	27
	1,082	1,424	342

Note 1: All figures are expressed as wholetime equivalents.

Note 2: Figures supplied are as recorded in the annual Health Service Personnel which is recorded at 31 December each year.