Asking consultants to work weekends won't solve hospital crisis, says IMO

Hospital consultants working at weekends will not resolve the current hospital overcrowding crisis, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said. 

“Consultants are working far in excess of ‘normal’ working hours, providing an on call service 24/7 & working weekend shifts. The problem is not the commitment of our medical workforce. The problems are lack of capacity, lack of beds and the chronic shortage in consultant numbers,” the IMO stated on Wednesday. 

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that there had been a 14% increase in the number of people over 75 attending Emergency Departments when compared to 2019.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) also expressed concerns this week over escalating levels of overcrowding in emergency departments.

Capacity limits have hit record highs, with 931 people waiting on hospital trolleys on Tuesday, falling to 838 people on Wednesday.

An IHCA spokesperson said current healthcare experiences were comparable to those at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It is not inconceivable that we could see 1,000 admitted patients being treated on trolleys on a single day in the weeks ahead," the spokesman said.

"Public hospital staff are working tirelessly, attempting to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.

"Consultants are on call 24/7, often practising over and above recommended levels, but the reality is there simply aren’t enough of us to meet increased demand. We are still working with 40% less consultant staffing in Ireland, compared to the EU average," the spokesperson said.