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Oireachtas Committee to discuss healthcare workforce planning with INMO, IMO and IHCA

20 DFómh 2020, 17:19

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health will discuss workforce planning in acute and community care settings with nurse, midwives, doctor and consultant representative groups, at a meeting, tomorrow, Wednesday, 21 October, in Leinster House, Committee Room 2 at 11.30am.

Representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Irish Medical Organisation (IMO)  and Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) are due to appear remotely before the Committee of TDs and Senators.

The witnesses are: Martin Varley, Secretary General, IHCA, Professor Alan Irvine, President, IHCA; Susan Clyne, Chief Executive, IMO; Dr Matthew Sadlier, Consultant Committee, IMO; Phil Ní Sheaghdha, General Secretary and INMO Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Industrial Relations, INMO.

Speaking before the meeting, Committee Chairman, Seán Crowe TD said: “The Committee is meeting organisations that represent, doctors, consultants, nurses and midwives against the backdrop of a pandemic and lockdown. Given the extra pressure that acute, primary and community services will be under this Winter, we need to hear from these to establish the extent of gaps in service provision.

“Adequate staffing levels are critical to delivering services that  meet the needs of those who require medical care and, in advance of the Committee meeting with the Minister, we will need to get a strong understanding of what is happening with waiting lists and trolley queues in hospitals and the capacity that is there with a workforce that has been under severe strain since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March. I welcome the extra funding that was announced last week in the budget, however we know there is an ongoing issue of underfunding and tomorrow is the first chance for the Committee to get a handle on this”.

View the Committee live.

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