‘Patients at risk over A&E staff shortfall’

THERE is “the very real danger” that the imminent drop in emergency department staff levels will leave hospitals unable to ensure the safety of patients from July, doctors have warned.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) made the comment after claiming there has been next to no attempt to address the expected 400 junior doctors’ shortfall due to recruitment issues set to impact within three months.

A spokesperson for the IAEM — which represents doctors working in emergency units — said the HSE has already confirmed it has received 950 applicants for junior doctor jobs in the units in recent months.

However, this figure is at least 300 below what is required when the posts become available on July 11, while 150 positions have been unfilled since January.

The IAEM said it has been warning about the growing staff level issues “for the past two years” without the difficulties being adequately addressed.

As a result, it said the expected shortfall of more than 400 junior doctors from July 11 is almost certain to put thousands of emergency department patients at genuine risk.

“There is a very real danger that many emergency departments will be unable to provide a safe 24-hour service for our patients and that services may be unavoidably curtailed on some sites from July.

“We urge the HSE to face up to its role in the recruitment debacle,” the group added.

The issue has also been raised by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA), with assistant general secretary, Donal Duffy, warning that the recruitment difficulties are getting worse at a time when service funding is being cut.

[e-mail]