Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 21: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to develop the role and contribution of the medical corps and expand its capacity to deliver a range of medical facilities on UN mandated missions. [20172/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on offering a rotation in the Defence Forces as part of the postgraduate medical training scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19426/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made in regard to making the Defence Forces medical corps more attractive to doctors in order that the critical shortage of doctors in the Defence Forces can be dealt with. [20148/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 27 and 30 together.

Military medical services and facilities exist to maintain the health of the Defence Forces and to support them in operational and overseas activities. The focus of the military medical service is on primary care, occupational medicine, acute trauma management, preventative medical programmes and field medical training. The challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some time and a review of the provision of medical services, in association with the Representative Associations, is ongoing as part of the Modernisation Agenda for the Defence Forces. The scope of the review includes the level of service to be provided to members of the Defence Forces and the resources required for the delivery of that service.

The review has already produced a Patients Charter. The agreement on the Patients Charter identifies the rights of members of the Defence Forces as patients and their obligations as users of the Defence Forces medical services. It also identifies the obligation on the providers of the services. The implementation of the Patients Charter is under way. However, the full implementation of the Charter is clearly dependant on the resolution of the structural, resource and other challenges facing the Medical Corps. In view of the complexity of the challenge facing the Defence Forces in this area, I decided to engage consultants to make recommendations on the best means of meeting the medical requirements of the Defence Forces. The consultancy will focus on the sustainable provision of the relevant medical expertise and services to the Defence Forces. The Consultancy is expected to deliver the following items:

A review of the medical input required for the DF in the light of the roles and operations of the DF.

An assessment of the current arrangements for the provision of medical services.

A recommendation regarding sustainable future provision of the required medical input.

A work plan, outlining the main projects necessary, with timescales and a costing matrix for the implementation of recommendations.

It is expected a contract will be awarded shortly and I expect the report to be delivered before the end of the year. In relation to offering a rotation in the Defence Forces as part of post-graduate medical training scheme, I am open to any suggestion that will help to provide the medical resources required. I expect that this and other possibilities for dealing with the shortage of medical personnel will be taken into consideration by the consultants. However, I do not want to anticipate the analysis that will be undertaken.

The Consultants will also look at the career prospects being offered to young Doctors, opportunities for career development and membership of specialist registers. They will also examine the range of services required by the Defence Forces at home and overseas and for options on the most appropriate skill set and qualifications for sustainable future provision. I eagerly await receipt of the report and I can assure the House that following consideration of the recommendations I will publish the report and engage with all of the key stakeholders on the way ahead. The development of the Medical Corps forms part of the agreed programme for Government. This includes the expansion of the capacity of the Medical Corps to deliver a range of medical facilities on UN mandated missions. I am committed to providing a sustainable medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces both at home and abroad. Notwithstanding the current situation I can assure the House that Defence Forces personnel requiring medical treatment are getting the care they need.