Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
1992. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in publishing the Murray report on hospital doctor recruitment; and if he will publish this without further delay. [34517/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the NDTP Project Team on the Employment of Consultants Not Registered in the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners (the Murray Report) is one of a number of Appendices to correspondence received from the HSE on 13 May setting out its proposals to address medical recruitment difficulties and related patient safety concerns. It was prepared as part of the HSE's response to requests I and my Department made asking that it address issues raised by the President of the High Court, Justice Kelly, concerning doctors being appointed to consultant posts who were not on the Specialist Register and broader medical recruitment challenges and associated patient safety concerns.
There is no delay in publishing this Report. It was received on 13th May 2019 and is currently receiving consideration. It is focused on doctors who are filling consultant posts though not on the Specialist Register. The HSE has advised that a further report on 'non-training scheme doctors' who constitute a much larger number will be completed in the coming months. The correspondence advised that the HSE is developing terms of reference for a Medical Workforce and Patient Safety Oversight Group supported by a project team to agree and oversee implementation of actions in relation to the following priority areas:
1. Doctors employed by the HSE who are not on the Specialist Register,
2. Non-Training Scheme NCHDs
3. The recruitment process for NCHDs
4. The recruitment process for consultants
5. Retention of consultants and NCHDs, and
6. The configuration of services that will best support the recruitment and retention of consultants and NCHDs, facilitate their training requirements and other needs.
