IMO President warns that failure to recruit and retain Consultants directly impacting on patient care

Monday 28^th January 2019.  The President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), Dr. Peadar Gilligan, has warned that the recruitment crisis for Consultants was directly impacting on patient care.  Dr. Gilligan was speaking after it was confirmed that one in six Consultant posts which were advertised last year went unfilled.

Speaking today, Dr. Gilligan said that the failure to complete recruitment campaigns was directly feeding into waiting lists and delaying much needed treatment for patients and was now influencing Consultants already working in Ireland to consider emigration to more Consultant-friendly health countries.

Dr Gilligan said that the recruitment and retention crisis was a direct consequence of the decision to slash pay to Consultants recruited after 2012 and the failure to reverse that policy even as the economy recovered.   Consultants recruited after 2012 are paid 30% less than Consultants recruited before that date despite carrying out the same work with the same responsibilities.

Dr. Gilligan said; “Morale amongst Consultants is very low and the key factor is the persistence of this grossly inequitable pay structure.   It is simply unsustainable to have pay discrimination within the Consultancy profession where the key influence on the amount you earn is the date your employment commenced.”