Reliance of Ireland’s health system on overseas doctors has risen to record levels

The reliance of Ireland’s health system on overseas doctors has risen to record levels, new figures show.

Doctors trained outside Ireland account for almost 43 per cent of those on the medical register, and a majority of those who joined the register last year, according to a report from the Medical Council.

And while the number of doctors on the register rose last year to an all-time high - 23,007 - the number of new entrants is dropping, and the number of doctors leaving the register is growing.

"The Irish health service is unattractive to doctors and we're going to have to do something about it," commented Dr Rita Doyle, president of the Medical Council. "If we don't stop this haemorrhage we're going to have a crisis."

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The 2,190 doctors who registered with the Medical Council in 2018 is the lowest since 2015. Doctors from outside the EU cumulatively accounted for more new entrants than Irish-trained doctors did.

Some 1,453 doctors withdrew from the register last year, up 38 per cent on the previous year.

Of this group, almost 70 per cent who replied to a survey said they planned to emigrate to practise medicine abroad.

One-third of doctors who left the register were graduates of Irish medical schools. Of this group, 32 per cent said they were moving to work in Australia, 28 per cent to the UK, 15 per cent to Canada and 11 per cent to New Zealand.

Dr Doyle said there was a continued over-reliance on foreign-trained doctors. “The practical and cultural challenges within the Irish health system need to be addressed, in tandem with an increase of appropriate health practitioner supply. Otherwise, retention will remain a growing issue.”

The Irish health system has to be made an attractive place in which to work, she said, while previous reports on medical manpower needed to be revisited.

Family or personal issues were most often cited by doctors leaving the register but other reasons mentioned included workplace issues, a lack of resources and “a lack of value and appreciation of the perseverance of doctors working against the background of limited resources”.

According to the report 42 per cent of registered doctors are women and 42.8 per cent are international medical graduates. The average age of a working doctors is 44.5 years.