Results 521-540 of 3,336 for speaker:Kate O'Connell
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Are there any indicators Dr. Doyle might give us?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Does Dr. Doyle feel that when those amendments are applied, it will mean better outcomes for patients and, perhaps, for clinicians?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: I thank the witnesses for coming in and for their patience. Please excuse the pun. I thank them for their patience with the system as it is. I am almost fully aware of the challenges that they face every day. I seek clarity on a few things. The National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, is often lauded. Yesterday was budget day and the fund had €100 million as of this budget, if my...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Possibly in another jurisdiction.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: I know it is necessary but it bothers me that it is lauded as a good thing when I do not see it-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: It is a long time to be waiting.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: The delegates from the Medical Council provided the stark statement that more than 50% of non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, are not in training posts. That is an extremely serious problem. When we are discussing waiting lists, different figures, and €20 million for this and that, the whole message can be lost. Will one of the witnesses explain, as concisely as possible, the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Last week, I mentioned to the witnesses from the HSE the case of a consultant locum in Bantry who is on pay of €415,000, which is well above the contract pay. Is this an example of a post where no training is being done? As I understand it, that person walks into work and does the job but does not train any of the NCHDs.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Is it fair to say that a shortage of permanent consultants in post at the top is having a trickle-down effect such that we are not breeding enough new hospital consultants?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: One of the witnesses from the Medical Council, Dr. Doyle, referred to that issue in her contribution. I raised it last week with the Minister but he did not seem to share my concern. Are we definitely in breach of the code?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: We are taking from areas of need.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: We are keeping the show on the road rather than building for the future.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: We have people in consultant posts who are locums and therefore getting two or three times the salary of the regular consultants even though they have had less training. That must have a negative impact both financially and professionally.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: My next question is for Dr. Durcan. I understand that Beaumont Hospital has lost several dermatologists to the private sector, leaving only one permanent dermatologist in post. What seems to be happening now is that patients are essentially being subcontracted out to the people who used to work in the system. The seriousness of this type of thing sometimes gets lost in discussion. There...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: They are worried.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Is the witness saying that as the consultant has left and gone to private practice the dermatologist has to continue the care of those patients, which can often be very complicated cases? All of the workload would then be channelled into the one consultant.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Let us go back to where it all started with the then Minister, Senator Reilly. I am actually a big fan of the Senator. As Deputy Durkan stated, the country was on its knees. We all accept that. It was not just the Judiciary and the doctors, as pharmacists took a similar cut. It had a massive impact on the sector. That took the form of a reduced pay bill, but the long-term impact has...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: In Cork-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: It is a runaway train at this stage. I do not mean to be dramatic, but I am concerned. I have read much of the material the witnesses have supplied. We are clearly not breeding a new cohort of consultants, given that we are not training them. If we are not paying them, they will stay abroad or go to the private sector. Senator Burke often speaks about the differential in the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Workforce Planning in the Health Sector: Discussion (9 Oct 2019)
Kate O'Connell: Why is that?