Smaller hospitals in jeopardy
Irish Hospital Consultant’s Association (IHCA) secretary general Finbarr Fitzpatrick said closures could follow because of the heavy dependency on junior doctors (NCHDs) in smaller facilities. “If their hours are reduced, someone will have to take up the slack. The clock is ticking on this one. Appointing additional junior doctors is not the solution if we are to have a consultant-delivered service. We need at least 1,000 extra consultants.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said the Government needed to act quickly to boost consultant numbers because of the 14-year timeframe it takes to reach consultant level. The deadline to reduce NCHD working hours from 65 to 58 hours a week is August 2004 and 48 by 2009, under a European Working Directive. Additional requirements under the directive will mean specific rest and break entitlements and a reduction in on-call hours. However, Mr Fitzpatrick said boosting consultant numbers was not just about compensating for reducing junior doctors’ working hours, it was about delivering a quality service to the patient. Latest figures from the Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board show that the ratio of consultants to junior doctors has decreased from 1:1.57 in 1984 to 1:2.39. The Irish College of General Practitioners said its members were also demanding extra consultants. “At the moment, about two out of three of all out-patients referred by GPs to the hospital are not seen by consultants. They are seen by junior doctors not qualified and not happy to make definitive treatment decisions. Patients are therefore not getting the service they deserve and GPs are concerned,” said ICGP spokesman Dr Brendan O’Shea.
