Dr. Niamh Humphries:

It is a big question. I think we can improve doctor retention. If the Deputy looks at the briefing document that we sent through, in the last two pages we outline six steps to improve doctor retention. The most important thing, before we begin any of those steps, is to acknowledge the need to improve doctor retention. We have high emigration, a high rate of consultant vacancy and a high reliance on non-EU doctors to staff the health system. It is really important that we recognise how much of a problem this is and how urgent it is to address doctor retention. If we want to improve doctor retention, we need to improve the working conditions of hospital doctors, improve staffing levels, reduce working hours and improve the work-life balance. Unless we do that, I am not sure that anything else will work. We need to encourage the retention and return of Irish-trained doctors, improve the retention of non-EU doctors and provide better flexibility in contracts and working hours for doctors. We need to set out a vision for health workforce improvement as well as establishing a health workforce research centre. This is a huge issue for the health system and it needs to be acknowledged and addressed.

On the plus side, it is incredible what we have achieved in four years with some Health Research Board funding. If the equivalent effort and funding went into this from a policy point of view, we would be in a different place in a couple of years.