Shifts not being covered in EDs – IAEM

Unfilled registrar positions in emergency departments have resulted in shifts not being covered and a reduction in the number of doctors on duty, the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has claimed.
The IAEM are seriously concerned with the difficulty emergency departments are having in recruiting NCHDs.

As of the beginning of March, there were 34 unfilled SHO positions out of approximately 200, and 23 unfilled registrar positions out of an estimated 130.
These unfilled positions have resulted in shifts not being covered and a reduction in the number of doctors on duty unless the position is filled by a locum doctor, who may be unfamiliar with the processes of an individual hospital.
Some hospitals have sought GPs to cover these shifts, however this solution is unsustainable as the skills requires in general practice and emergency medicine are significantly different, the IAEM argued.
The IAEM has repeatedly stated that the current number of 32 emergency departments is too high but little progress has been made to reduce this figure.
There is also an urgent need for more consultants in emergency medicine as the current 54 are being spread over the 32 EDs.
The Association envisages far fewer SHOs in emergency medicine as they feel a more senior grade of doctor is required, resulting in patients being assessed by senior decision makers, a key recommendation of the recent Comptroller and Auditor General’s Special report on Emergency Departments.