Call for funding to train 800 extra doctors a year to tackle staff shortage

THE Government must provide substantial funding to train up to 800 extra Irish doctors a year to tackle the escalating shortage of medical staff here, the Irish Patients’ Association insisted yesterday.

There is a cap of 315 on the number of Irish and EU doctors who can be trained in our medical schools each year, with 400 places reserved for non-EU students who pay treble the amount of fees.

IPA chairman Stephen McMahon said this discrimination in favour of students who pay more must stop and the Government must provide funding to ensure medical schools treble the number of Irish students.

“We would like to see 700 to 800 extra Irish students taken into medical schools and properly funded by the Government to cope with the growing shortage of GPs and consultants.”

He commented at the Population Health Summer School in University College Cork organised jointly by the HSE Southern Area’s Department of Public Health, UCC’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

He said it is very tough on Irish students who need up to 570 points to get medicine and may miss out by just 15 or 20 points.

“They then see their EU counterparts getting in on reduced points of between 400 and 450 just because they can pay €25,000 in fees to medical schools.”

He conceded these are obviously seen as cash cows by medical schools - especially when they get just €8,000 a year for training an Irish medical student.

“But if an Irish parent can come up with €25,000 to pay for their children to get in then the Government must consider allowing them to do it and drop the points to those required of non-EU students.”

The IPA also wants league tables outlining the performance and quality of care in hospitals to be published.

“Patients want to know what their records are on hospital infections, MRSA, waiting times and if the physicians are part of the competence assurance programme.”

But he stressed there will have to be very careful evaluation of mortality rates because certain hospitals will obviously have higher ones than others - particularly if they specialise in cancer treatment or coronary care.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman Tom Frawley told the conference he was opposed to publication of hospital league tables. He said clinicians don’t want to put down negative outcomes likely to result in death.