The Minister for Health was yesterday urged to review the cumbersome procedures followed when appointing hospital consultants, which can result in delays of up to two years in filling posts.
A leading cancer specialist at St James's Hospital in Dublin said the process was "sheer madness", which only lengthened waiting lists and put extra pressure on other hospital doctors. The "tedious" procedure discouraged specialists working abroad from applying for consultant positions here, he said.
When a health board decides it needs an extra consultant it applies to the Department of Health for ratification of the post. Comhairle na nOspideal approval must then be sought. If it is given, the health board asks the Local Appointments Commission to advertise it, hold interviews and select a candidate.
This can take months and it could take several more months before the chosen candidate uprooted themselves and took up the appointment.
Prof Peter Daly, a consultant medical oncologist at St James's Hospital and a member of the National Forum on Cancer Services, said he hoped the initial stages of the process could be reduced to weeks or months, rather than years, as now happens.
His comments followed the publication of a letter in The Irish Times from Ms Theresa Moriarty, pointing out that there was no medical oncologist employed in the Southern Health Board area. "I was even more surprised to find, after further investigation, that while funds have been made available for nearly two years, the post has not, as yet, been advertised," she wrote.
Mr Tony McNamara, general manager of Cork University Hospital, said he had great sympathy for people like Ms Moriarty, and the SHB was making every effort to put a full range of cancer services in place.
He said two consultant oncologists were to be appointed in the Southern Health Board area and he hoped the positions would be advertised this month.
"I agree the appointments system is very cumbersome. We have at health board level been advocating that the system should be short-circuited. It is very, very frustrating," he added.