Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. A memorandum of understanding for a pilot exchange programme between the HSE and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan was signed in November 2011. The programme is due to commence in July this year. Doctors who are currently enrolled in CPSP's postgraduate training programmes will spend two years gaining experience and training in Ireland. Participants will have their time accredited for training purposes by the CPSP and this will contribute to their career progression on return to Pakistan. This programme fulfils Ireland's obligations under the WHO Global Code for the Recruitment of Healthcare Workers. It will enable the up-skilling of doctors from Pakistan to the benefit of the health service there. The Senator has also raised non-consultant hospital doctors' employment contracts. There are approximately 4,900 NCHDs employed at any one time. Some 80% of these are training posts and the remainder are non-training or service posts. The duration of the contract held by an individual doctor is determined by factors which include the nature of training or service arrangements and whether the post involves rotation between sites.

I acknowledge that NCHDs fulfil a very important role in providing front-line care and wish to express my appreciation and that of the Minister for Health for the commitment and dedication of these doctors. However, for the most part these are doctors in training and we must ensure an appropriate balance between the provision of care by hospital consultants and NCHDs. It is important to state also that the issue of NCHDs' working-hours is one which the Minister is taking very seriously and plans are in hand to achieve substantial reductions in the number of hours these doctors must work. Entry to postgraduate training and continued participation in a multi-annual training scheme is determined by postgraduate training bodies. While an NCHD may have secured a place on a multi-annual scheme, the length of time that a doctor works in a particular site as part of that scheme may vary and he or she may choose to move between a range of different employers in the course of training. The contracts for training posts vary from a one-year contract for an intern to a contract of four to six years for a senior-specialist registrar. Senior house officers who participate in structured two or three-year training schemes may hold consecutive six-month or annual contracts, depending on whether they move location or change employer.

For a number of reasons, largely historical, the HSE operates several payrolls. Where an NCHD moves from one HSE payroll area to another or from the HSE to a voluntary provider, he or she must enter into a new employment contract. I accept that this is not ideal. The move to a shared services model in the coming years should address this issue and enable accurate data to be provided on the number of doctors who hold two-year contracts. I would like again to place on record the Government's appreciation of the major contribution which NCHDs make to the delivery of front-line care and our commitment to the achievement of compliance with the European working time directive by 2014.