As many as 20 per cent of doctors are leaving medicine when they qualify, the Medical Council has warned.
Dr John Hillery, vice-president of the Medical Council, said significant numbers of interns completing their final year this year will be leaving medicine. In one medical school the loss is likely to be about 20 per cent.
Prof Gerard Bury, the president of the Medical Council, said about 80 new applicants from outside the EU have taken up Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) posts in hospitals this year, passing the examination which ensures competence to work safely. This is nearly double last year's figure of 44. However, he warned that the effect of the fall-off which followed the introduction of the examination has yet to be seen. Doctors who took up NCHD posts in Irish hospitals before the examination was introduced are still working their way through the system and have softened the impact so far.
Referring to a decision at the end of June to allow non-EU NCHDs to train here for seven years instead of five, Prof Bury said this had brought in only 10 applications so far.
pomorain@irish-times.ie