HSE advertises for up to 120 consultants

UP to 120 hospital consultant posts are being advertised by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as part of its continued efforts to increase the numbers of consultants working in the public service.

Last year, up to 68 of these posts were advertised but were not filled due to the failure of the HSE and hospital consultants to reach agreement on the terms of a new consultant contract.

This same contract still hasn’t been signed off on by the consultant representative bodies and health service employers. However, it’s hoped that the consultant representative associations will be recommending acceptance of the contract at a series of regional meetings planned for next month.

Yesterday 20 posts were advertised for consultants working with the Cancer Control Programme. This weekend, a further 19 posts in the mental health services will be advertised. The remaining 80 posts in emergency hospital and community services will be advertised in the coming weeks.

Assistant National Director of Human Resources, Barry O’Brien said cancer and mental health are priority areas under the HSE’s Transformation Programme 2007-2010.

“With the proposed implementation of the new contract,” he said, “we will see major benefits for patients. The new contract will allow for doctors to work 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, and to be rostered at weekends and public holidays for service needs. There will also be an extension of the working day.

“Such initiatives will see a shift from a consultant-led service to a consultant-delivered service.”

IMO consultant chairman Dr Trevor Duffy welcomed the recruitment campaign.

“The filling of these posts is essential to reversing the cutback in services which has led to distress amongst patients, their families and the medical profession.

“This breakthrough follows demands for the resumption of recruitment made at the recent IMO AGM and at a meeting with the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney. The recruitment campaign resumed following acceptance by the HSE at contract talks that the contractual terms for these posts will be finalised with the IMO.”

The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association said they were pleased the recruitment campaign was beginning in earnest.

“We have no difficulty with the advertisements. Our preference would be to have the contract finalised, but there are a few things left to be resolved.”