Results 5,841-5,860 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (Resumed) (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: No. That is only the précis. The big issue relates to the Irish National Accreditation Board, INAB. I have gone through all of the documentation provided. I do not know whether any other member has done so. I spent last night going through it. I have raised issues regarding INAB at the committee many times. Its representatives appeared before us. I refer to the issues regarding...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (Resumed) (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: I am not convinced that the terms of reference were covered. I have a number of questions. I received all of this documentation yesterday, which was budget day, so I will return with a range of questions about this for the consideration of the committee. The real issue is the fact that the issues that were to have been covered in this report, which was to have been published in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (Resumed) (9 Oct 2019)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

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

Alan Kelly: I am disappointed that the Chairman did not allow Deputy O'Reilly to ask her question, although I respect his ruling, even if it does not look good coming from a doctor.

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

Alan Kelly: I understand that.

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

Alan Kelly: Yes. One of the issues I will raise is exhaustion among consultants and working hours that are not acceptable. Errors happen because of this. I must be honest in saying that. Consultants are human beings. They have worries and concerns about malpractice as a result of it. That is a real issue. I think the issues are related, and while I do not agree with it, I accept the Chairman's...

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?