Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will move on to the challenges in our hospital system. Traditionally, when nurses graduate they want to go away for a year or two and get experience abroad. That did not happen over the past three or four years due to Covid-19 but a substantial number may leave over the next 12 months. What planning is being done to deal with this sudden change? Does the ratio of nurses to care assistants and junior doctors need to be looked at? This will be a challenge. I know of a number of facilities where clinics cannot be held because nurses are not available. The consultants want to hold the clinics but in-house issues in the hospital mean there is no nurse available and they cannot be held. Are detailed discussions taking place on how to best utilise staff in hospital settings, in particular given that nurses have so many skills and can do much of the work junior doctors are doing? At the same time, there is a question about the role of care assistants.

Will the role of theatre assistants be developed? I have raised previously the fact that a number of private units have theatre assistants. Where we are going in that regard?