Lack of skin experts ‘will cost lives’, warns TD

People living in Ireland’s worst skin cancer blackspot risk not being immediately checked for signs of the potentially life-threatening condition, because of chronic HSE recruitment problems.

Senior health service officials admitted the problem is apparent at University Hospital Waterford — formerly Waterford Regional Hospital — due to an ongoing inability to appoint people to two recently emptied consultant dermatologist posts.

Responding to concerns over the matter at the latest Dáil health committee, HSE deputy director general Laverne McGuinness confirmed the hospital has yet to replace Dr Colin Buckley, who retired at the start of the year.