Doctors have gathered in Killarney, Co Kerry, for the Irish Medical Organisation’s (IMO) annual general meeting to discuss issues such as staffing levels, hospital bed capacity, and healthcare funding, reports RTE.
One of the key topics at the event, which is being addressed by Health Service Executive CEO Bernard Gloster, is the effect of rostering consultants to work weekends.
The IMO has highlighted that adequate staffing is essential to ensure both effective weekend services and the maintenance of weekday care standards, reports RTE.
IMO consultant leader Professor Matthew Sadlier told delegates that for weekend consultant rostering to work properly, the entire hospital system must operate over the weekend — something he said the current health service is not designed for.
Prof Sadlier warned that stretching existing consultant numbers across a seven-day roster could simply shift staffing shortages from weekends to weekdays, reports RTE.
The proposal to roster consultants at weekends, aimed at easing overcrowding that builds up over weekends and bank holidays, is the subject of a motion being debated by members.
Mr Gloster said that addressing this challenge is broader than just consultants and suggested up to 10% of healthcare workers could be fairly rostered at weekends to enhance services, reports RTE.
He cited a reduction of 831 trolley numbers and an increase of 277 discharges between the St Brigid’s Day and St Patrick’s Day bank holiday weekends as evidence of improvements.
Mr Gloster told the conference that trolley numbers dropped from nearly 600 to below 300 on the Tuesdays after each bank holiday, reports RTE.
He said such improvements are crucial, not just for easing overcrowding but for improving the overall response to unscheduled care demands.
Despite a 6.4% rise in emergency department attendances — and up to 10% at some hospitals — Mr Gloster said there has been an 11% reduction in trolley numbers this year.
Consultants are calling for the HSE and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to commission a comprehensive review into the benefits and feasibility of weekend rostering, and how it would affect hospital operations overall, reports RTE.
Doctors point out that currently most consultants work five days a week, with out-of-hours care provided by on-call services.
The IMO says it is not opposed to structured weekend work for consultants, noting that this was included under the public-only contract introduced in March 2023, reports RTE.
Representing GPs, consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, and public health specialists, the IMO is demanding urgent investment in 5,000 additional beds.
The union is also pushing for an increase in doctor numbers and has raised concerns about the HSE’s ongoing restrictions on pay and staffing levels.
Incoming IMO President Dr Anne Dee, a public health consultant, said marginalised communities are experiencing significantly worse health outcomes compared to those with better access to housing, education, and employment, reports RTE.
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