Professor Alan Irvine:

We need to massively increase the workforce. We talked earlier about correcting the 30% pay cut, which is really important in recruiting the next generation of consultants, a point we cannot emphasise enough. If looking for solutions in a broader system, one will find them mostly grown locally and from listening to local clinicians, nurse leaders and hospital leaders. One will find that if one talks to people working in Wexford, they will know what is best for Wexford and how best to get its capacity. There may be office blocks that can be repurposed as outpatient clinics with social distancing or additional beds that can come in for modular builds. There is a great deal of expertise locally if one really listens to the people who know their business best. It will not work on a central command and control, top-down system. That never works and it is just forced on people. The best and most innovative solutions will be in local communities with local clinicians and nurses.

I recommend fixing the pay cut, getting more people on the ground and listening carefully to local solutions. They should be given money and empowered.