Frontline health staff hiring freeze 'will worsen chaos in already overstretched services'

The Irish Medical Organisation's NCHD chairwoman Rachel McNamara said the extended freeze 'will add to the chaos in a system which already does not have enough doctors to deliver safe patient care'. Stock picture

A HSE decision to freeze the recruitment of some frontline staff for financial reasons will increase pressure on already over-stretched services, health unions and politicians have warned.

It comes as new hospital waiting lists figures indicate the system is on course to miss this year’s targets, hospital doctors said.