Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Health if there are now 81 doctors working as consultants in public hospitals that are not on the specialist register of the Medical Council; and if claims are accurate that in some cases the least experienced persons working remotely without senior consultant peer back up were performing high risk exploratory surgery for abdominal pains. [43341/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy concerning the specific issues raised. I would like to outline steps the HSE has taken to ensure that consultants employed in the public services are on the specialist register of the Medical Council and that where this is not the case appropriate clinical supervision is in place.

In March 2008 the HSE amended the qualifications specified for Consultant posts to require membership of the specialist division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council. Consultant Contract 2008 reflects this requirement. Data from HSE National Doctors Training and Planning indicates that approximately 80 Consultant post holders out of over 3,000 do not hold specialist division registration. Some of these were appointed prior to March 2008 and therefore did not have to meet that requirement on appointment.

In December 20015 the Director General of the HSE requested Professor Frank Keane to lead a process to address a range of issues associated with the creation and approval of Consultant posts and successful recruitment to such posts. In February 2017 the HSE published the Report of the Committee established to undertake this work:- ‘Successful Consultant Recruitment, Appointment and Retention’. The Committee recommended that measures be adopted to cease the poor employment practice which gives rise to contracts of indefinite duration and risk to the public arising from provision of services by persons who are not appropriately qualified. The HSE is focused on implementing the recommendations of the Committee.

On 17th July National HR, HSE issued a detailed Circular “HR Circular 021/2017 re Qualifications required for Consultant Posts”. The Circular reaffirmed the HSE’s regulatory functions in relation to all consultant appointments in the public service in Ireland, including new and replacement posts, locum and temporary posts, contract type and qualifications to apply. It stated that health service employers are required to seek the prior approval of the HSE before making a Consultant appointment (whether permanent or non-permanent) and to comply with the HSE Letter of Approval concerning any post in making an appointment. It also provided that a risk mitigation plan be put in place for each consultant post where the appointee does not hold the qualifications specified for the appointment, and this should include appropriate arrangements for senior clinical oversight as required. It also provided for the early termination of contracts of temporary/locum doctors who do not hold the qualifications required.