Results 14,881-14,900 of 21,111 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: I did not say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: I often refer to the Chairman as Dr. Harty. In fact, I never refer to him as Deputy. That does not insinuate anything. I will not question the witnesses on this, but I will make a statement to which I do not want any response. I know of other cases apart from the one covered in the documentary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: I will deal with it this way. I know many people in the medical profession. There is a concern among doctors that their workload and the number of hours they work result in malpractice, accidental or otherwise. Is that a fair assumption?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: That is a fair point. I was not as conscious of the second point, which relates to bullying, but as Dr. Doyle has repeated it I am aware that it as a concern. On that basis, is it fair to say that the Medical Council will have to deal with issues that are referred to it due workload and exhaustion?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: No, what I am asking is whether Dr. Doyle believes the number of issues the Medical Council has to deal with is increasing as a result of the way in which consultants are treated in the workforce. If she does not believe that, then it does not correlate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: It looks like the complaints process will have to be changed. I will address that point to the Minister. A volte-face will be needed after what has been revealed. I am concerned. There are two ways of looking at this, either as a deep concern or as a good thing. We do not have enough consultants and they are overworked and overstretched. The hours they are working are insane, as are the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: That is very interesting because it means there is no correlation between public concerns about malpractice and the conditions consultants work in and related factors. The absence of a correlation shows consultants must be working at a maximum level or close to the edge as otherwise there would be an increase in complaints.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: They are completely different.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Yes, it is interesting that the statistics have flatlined, despite the fact that we all know we have fewer consultants proportionately than we had some years ago. The figures have been flatlining for a number of years. That says an awful lot for the consultants. It is a good thing and a good statistic. I am not sure if people are aware of that because to be honest, I was not aware of it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Why not? That information would be very useful to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: If I could make a suggestion, could the Medical Council change its qualitative research process and collect that information? It would be very interesting to know what disciplines people are leaving.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: One would over two or three years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: In three or four years' time, we would have trend analysis. We have to start somewhere.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: From a qualitative point of view, what is the gut feeling on the disciplines specialists are leaving?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: I believe that is probably accurate. I am also interested in statistics on geography. Do we know where the consultants and doctors who have left the system are working? Do we have a breakdown of that information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Would Ms O'Farrell mind providing that information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Would it also be possible to change the inputs to gather that information in the future? It will be very useful to know, from a geographical perspective, the facilities such people left, the final posts they held and their specialties. That information is incredibly important to us; we are talking about it all the time. The Medical Council does not distinguish between public and private....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Does Dr. Doyle have a gut feeling about it? We now know that consultants are on two-tier contracts. That is an issue we have talked about ad nauseamand most of us are on the same page in respect of it. Is access to an opportunity to practise privately a variable to be considered for medical practitioners who are deciding to leave the country?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: We all know that the conditions in which many consultants work are unacceptable although it is not the same across the various hospitals. Those of us in the mid west know there is a particular issue in UHL that is incredibly bad in comparison with the position in Beaumont Hospital. The number of doctors per head of population in Beaumont versus UHL is a national scandal. Doctors in UHL are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Does Dr. Doyle have a gut feeling? I am asking a lot of questions because the quantitative and qualitative data that has been provided does not seem to provide a lot of answers. Hopefully it will do so in the future.