45% of hospital interns left system

Almost half of all interns placed at Irish hospitals last summer have now left the health service, raising fears “significant State resources” are being “wasted” on their training.

A new HSE report into the career paths of medical graduates, has found that despite the dire need for staff to run frontline services, a growing number of next-generation doctors are taking up posts abroad or quitting medicine entirely.

The report, drawn up by the HSE’s medical education and training unit, examined the working lives of 513 recent graduates.