New Grade of Hospital Doc to be Introduced

ericm84

Interesting piece in the Indo today:

http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/minister-will-bring-in-new-grade-to-halt-doctor-drain-2991852.html

Dr. O'Reilly is looking to bring in a new grade for those who have finished their specialty training and can't get a consultants post to try and stop them emigrating.

What do people think of this? It says it is based on model in UK, would that be the staff grade/specialty doctor grade? If so it's hardly comparable to consultant post......i know of a number of speciality doctor grades in the UK who are only 3-4 years out of college, and they work very much under the guidance of consultants, haven't finished specialist training and don't get paid anywhere near consultants salary!

Also, he says that Irish hospitals are 3 years away from complying with the EWTD!!! Dr. O'Reilly seems to think that electronification of records will mean the ability to reduce junior doctors hours (as interns wont have to spend time chasing x-rays and "doing basic tasks which could be performed by other staff").

Finally, on a bit of an aside, is it worrying that the minister of health thinks interns are paid €40,000 a year when with the last batch of cuts the salary fell to €30,000?!?!?!?!

dissed doc

It's a complete joke but TBF so is O'Reilly and so is the HSE.

I did lol a little when I saw "fast track their careers to consultant posts outside of Ireland" - it's actually the normal speed of 5-6 years max that is specialist training in most of western europe (incl. UK), the US and Aus/NZ. Ireland is pretty unique in making people do 10-14yrs+ after university and then to top it off - not hire people are specialist but have them fill in as very experienced "Super Registrars".

Pretty insulting TBH, but anyone with a sense of self-respect who wants to give good patient care is likely planning on leaving or already has left.

Delancey

Is this a kind of ' Yellow Pack ' Consultant they're talking about ?

healthrisk

I get the impression these new low fat diet pseudoconsultant jobs will be used to keep down the number of proper homemade organic free range consultant posts - meaning that contrary to the stated intention, they show NCHDs that there will be even less chance of them getting to do the job they go through hell training for.

If they come with 'lifestyle' benefits (office hours, no call, free gym membership or whatever) they may be attractive to some people but as plenty others have been saying - who in their right mind would navigate the lunatic irish training system and then settle for a job that is beneath their qualifications here instead of going elsewhere?

opinion guy

These are about one thing. Getting around the need to negotiate the consultants contract. Simple as.