Advertisements for 68 consultants ‘evidence of HSE mismanagement’

ADVERTISEMENTS for 68 consultant posts being placed in newspapers and medical journals this week are further proof of mismanagement by the Health Service Executive’s (HSE), the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) claimed yesterday.

IHCA secretary general Finbarr Fitzpatrick said that almost 40% of advertised positions are in psychiatry, most of which had been promised since January 2006.

The psychiatric posts were created to allow part two of the Mental Health Act last November.

“Now, after 16 months of paralysis and prevarication, the minister tells us that these posts are urgently needed. Political expediency must not be confused with medical necessity,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

And, he pointed out, around 140 posts remained on the desks of the HSE, which had been prioritised in terms of need.

Some of the positions had been awaiting consideration since 2005.

“We are about to beassailed by spin doctors from the HSE and Department of Health on why we need to urgently employ medical doctors even if less qualified than the best candidates available within and outside this jurisdiction,” he said.

Both the IHCA and the Irish Medical Organisation have advised its members not to apply for the consultant posts that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, wanted the HSE to advertise in advance of an agreement on new contracts.

Asked yesterday if she was worried at the stance taken by the two consultant groups Ms Harney said she hoped that doctors would not be afraid to apply for the positions.

She said the salaries being offered were very attractive by European standards and believed that there were a lot of doctors in Ireland who were suitably qualified for the positions.

The two consultant groups have informed medical bodies representing doctors in other countries that the contracts on offer for the new posts have a number of shortcomings and they should advise their members not to apply for them.

Mr Fitzpatrick said both the minister and the HSE had got their answer from the junior doctors of today who are the consultants of tomorrow.

He pointed out that several groups of specialist registrars who were qualified to apply for the consultant posts had taken the long view and decided not to apply for the consultant posts.

The IHCA will hold an extraordinary general meeting next Sunday at which it will make a formal decision to boycott the recruitment process.