New doctor grade aims to improve hospital service

PLANS for a new grade of senior non-consultant doctor to improve hospital service delivery were revealed by Health Minister James Reilly.

Dr Reilly told a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children that the new grade of doctor would be similar to the speciality doctor grade in Britain.

The doctors delivered routine and emergency clinical care under the supervision of a consultant but, over time, took on more responsibility.

The minister pointed out that doctors at the top end of the grade worked with only indirect supervision.

He said the new doctor grade in Ireland would be part of the progression to becoming a full consultant.

The minister also insisted that he was committed to achieving compliance with the EU’s recent demand that Ireland reduce the working week of its junior doctors to a maximum of 48 hours.

He said he recognised that the working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) must be reduced and rest breaks granted in accordance with the EU Working Time Directive.

“Obviously progress on compliance has been hindered given the shortage of NCHDs experienced over the past two years,” he said.

He said compliance would require significant changes in the way hospital services were delivered, particularly in smaller hospitals.

And, while it was Government policy to move away from a consultant-led health service to a consultant-delivered one, the economic climate would affect the extent to which this could be delivered.

On the issue of consultant pay, Dr Reilly said he was more interested in the way hospital services were delivered. He would prefer if consultants provided more flexibility and provide care on weekends. If that did not happen, he warned that consequences “would come to bear very quickly”.