Cork University Hospital crisis due to lack of biochemists

A shortage of consultant clinical biochemists is causing recruitment difficulties for Cork University Hospital, where the biochemistry laboratory has advised GPs it cannot provide clinical advice or interpretation of test results because of lack of clinical governance.

The hospital’s biochemistry department has also advised GPs it has sought to “voluntarily suspend” its accreditation as efforts continue to recruit a consultant clinical biochemist following the retirement, last September, of department chief Dr John O’Mullane.

Asked how many staff vacancies were in the department, the hospital said: “At any given time, allowing that there are a great number of personnel employed in the laboratory, there can be several or no vacancies.”