ACUTE SERVICES at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda are in danger of collapsing in January due to a chronic shortage of junior doctors, a consultant at the hospital has warned.
Dr Michael Staunton, lead clinician in the department of anaesthesia, has told management that out of 14 anaesthetic non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) or junior doctor posts in the hospital, up to 13 could remain unfilled in January when junior doctors rotate positions. They rotate posts every six months.
“This level of staffing will cause the collapse of acute services in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda,” he said, in a letter last week to the clinical director of Louth/Meath Hospital Group, Dr Dominic O’Brannagain.
The letter, seen by The Irish Times, says part of the concern stems from information received following an inspection of the hospital by the College of Anaesthetists earlier this month.
Staff have “been informally told that the College of Anaesthetists may withdraw recognition for training from all anaesthetic NCHD posts” in the hospital.
It had seven recognised anaesthetic training posts for junior doctors last July and expected two in January 2011, but the two may be sent to other hospitals.
Dr Staunton said the hospital was involved in an initiative to try to recruit anaesthetists from Hungary.
“However, it is uncertain whether any doctors recruited will be registered by the Medical Council and available to commence duty in January 2011,” he wrote.
“In addition, as it will be their first job in Ireland, they may require extremely close supervision and support and, initially, may not be able to work on call,” he noted.
He called for “urgent action” from the HSE, the Medical Council and postgraduate training bodies to preserve safe acute hospital services in Drogheda. He said they would need to increase the number of recognised training posts and/or change the Medical Council’s registration rules.
Last July, when the hospital was only able to fill nine out of its 14 junior doctors posts in anaesthesia, Dr Staunton warned the level of anaesthetic cover that could be provided was “highly unsafe for patients and staff”.
Concerns about a shortage of junior doctors to fill posts next year are not unique to Drogheda. Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is also concerned over a lack of applicants for junior posts in anaesthesia.
“Grave concerns” were also expressed during a teleconference at the end of September between senior HSE managers and clinicians across the country about a significant fall in the number of applications for junior doctor posts that fall vacant in January.
Andrew Condon, general manager of the HSE’s office of the national director of human resources, claimed the staff to fill junior doctor vacancies did not exist and said difficult decisions regarding service reconfiguration would have to be made.
However, organisations representing doctors claim the reason for the shortage is excessive workload, cuts in pay to junior doctors, changes in visa regulations and a reduction in the number of recognised training posts for doctors of this grade.
The HSE said last night it was implementing a strategy for the forthcoming NCHD rotations in January and July 2011 that would address the issues associated with recruitment, terms and conditions, rotational arrangements and aligning NCHD workforce with changing service needs.
“The HSE is working . . . with all stakeholders to ensure that the shortage of junior doctors and any resulting impact on services is minimised and to ensure patient safety is maintained,” it said.