Recruits advised to ‘go home’

By Lloyd Mudiwa.

The Asian doctors who failed December’s clinical examinations for registration to the Supervised Division should return to their home countries, the HSE has advised.

A spokesperson for the Executive told IMT this week: “Doctors were informed in October 2011 that if they failed the examination, they should return home and could travel to Ireland later in 2012 if they wished to sit the repeat examination. This remains the position.”

No date has yet been set for a re-sit following the poor pass rate in last month’s examination, the Medical Council has said. The HSE, which is discussing the timetabling of future exams with the Council, said it was also in ongoing contact with the Department of Health regarding the Division.

Doctors recruited from India and Pakistan have mobilised under the banner ‘Ireland Doctors Forum’ to demand a quick re-examination and retention of unsuccessful candidates on an intern’s stipend until they pass the assessment.

The Council told IMT that the process of contacting unsuccessful candidates was ongoing. They will receive a breakdown of their results and will have the opportunity to appeal if they so wish, Kingram House said.

Only 54 candidates (47 per cent) passed the examinations in Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Surgery.  They were registered by January 6, and eligible to take up posts in advance of the January rotation, a spokesperson confirmed.

The Executive said, as of January 20, there were 62 unfilled posts in HSE hospitals and agencies. These posts constituted 2.6 per cent of all HSE NCHD posts and 1.3 per cent of all NCHD posts nationally.

“More than half the posts which can’t be filled via the  National Recruitment Service are in two specialties — Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry. An audit of these posts is underway and to date, approximately 50 per cent have been identified as currently being filled by locum/agency staff. No service implications arise, albeit there is an ongoing cost issue associated with dependence on agency staff,” said the HSE.

HSE Chief Executive Cathal Magee has indicated the Executive’s plans to reduce the cost of agency spends by up to 50 per cent in 2012.

lloyd.mudiwa@imt.ie