Sir, – The reason so many of my younger physiotherapy colleagues are working in New Zealand (as well as Canada, Middle East, the UK, and so on) is because there are surplus graduates to jobs available within the HSE, which is the main start point on the career ladder of a physiotherapist. When the UK had a similar problem back in 2003/2004, there was a blanket ban on students commencing their physiotherapy degree at the 20-odd universities that offered the undergraduate program, until the NHS had “absorbed” the surplus graduates into the workforce.
In addition, master’s programmes have added to the numbers qualifying.
There is a solution to this, but it would require joined-up thinking between the HSE and Department of Education, which Irish officialdom does not seem very good at. Seamus Hogan (September 7th) is correct to highlight the waste to the Irish taxpayer. – Yours, etc,
ORLA MAGORRIAN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.