Only 10% of vacant consultant posts filled

The recruitment of just 57 consultants this year has raised concerns about patient safety as waiting lists get longer.

Only one tenth of consultants needed was hired this year, triggering further calls for recruitment and retention to be addressed urgently.

HSE figures obtained by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin show 57 permanent consultants have been recruited in 2018. This is where a contract of employment has been issued, said the HSE.

Just 14 posts for next year so far have been approved. However, no contracts have yet been signed with consultants still agreeing terms and conditions.

The figures come after a warning from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association in October that 500 permanent hospital posts remained unfilled.

Mr Martin said the dismal level of recruitment was stalling improvements in the health service and creating doubts about safety levels.

“The number of consultant vacancies across the country’s health service is a huge concern. The vacancies are one of the main causes of increased waiting lists and times for patients. It also causes serious safety concerns.

“Consultants are the main drivers of a safe and efficient health service and until these vacancies are filled the health service will not improve,” he said.

The HSE said there are 96 posts for this year where a letter of approval has been granted from the appointments unit but where documents are awaited to proceed. Another 158 posts are currently going through the recruitment process and are at advertising stage, short-listing, the interview stage, or where candidates still await clearance.

However, the HSE figures show just 14 posts have been recommended for next year. On top of the limited numbers being hired, the consultants who are in the health system are threatening to strike next year if the equal rate of pay is not restored for doctors hired after 2012. In some cases, hospital consultants hired after this date are paid up to 30% less than colleagues who were hired before then.

The Irish Medical Organisation has said the two-tier payment system is damaging morale among medical staff and preventing consultant posts being filled.

Mr Martin maintains that the gap in recruitment must be filled by the Government. “Ireland is competing globally to recruit consultants but unfortunately a lot of our own doctors are choosing to work abroad. Recruitment and retention issues need to be urgently addressed.”