The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) has expressed concern that future medical training standards as well as patient care could be affected by issues arising from the current plans to reform the contract for hospital consultants.
It is concerned in particular at the qualifications which will be required for doctors who would be appointed to new-style consultant posts under Government plans.
The RCPI said that while it supported the projected increase in the number of consultants, it believed that all appointees to such posts must, at a minimum, be on the specialist register of the Medical Council.
"RCPI is deeply concerned that our existing cohort of specialist registrars (doctors undertaking a four-to-seven-year training programmes in a specific medical specially, such as cardiology, medical oncology, respiratory medicine etc) have informed us that they believe that the current situation in relation to the consultant contract will undermine high standards of medical practice and medical training and deter them from continuing to work in the Irish health service," it said.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advertised about 60 new consultant posts on revised terms and conditions. The Irish Medical Organisation has suggested that the advertised criteria for the posts would allow doctors who had not fully completed specialist training and who were not on the specialist register to be appointed.
The HSE has denied that this will be the case.
