Consultant shortage puts patients at risk

THE care of some patients may be at risk because of a serious shortage of A&E consultants, the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine (IAEM) has warned.

“Ideally, every patient that comes to an emergency department should be seen by a consultant, but we are a long way from that,” said Dr James Binchy, a consultant in emergency medicine.

The IAEM published a position paper yesterday calling for a major boost in staffing and resources in hospital A&Es. Everyone should have optimum standards of emergency care, the association insisted.