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Cancelling essential scheduled surgeries, diagnostic investigations, and outpatient appointments cannot be the go-to solution to hospital capacity deficits  The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has today (25 March 2022) urged the public to use a higher degree of caution over the coming weeks given the widespread community transmission of the coronavirus and the resulting increase in hospitalisations. 

Commenting on the latest National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) waiting list figures, Professor Alan Irvine, President, Irish Hospital Consultants Association, said: 

Over the past week, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has, on behalf of our members, engaged with the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the issue of working arrangements for the provision of care to all patients during the COVID-19 emergency.

On 30 March last, the Government announced it had reached agreement with private hospitals across the State to use their facilities for the treatment of both Covid-19 and non Covid-19 patients.   Approximately, 500 consultants working at these hospitals who currently treat private patients only are to receive temporary HSE locum contracts to cover their work during the COVID-19 crisis period.   Many of these consultants have expressed concern about the terms of such contracts and specifically, their negative impact on the patients they currently treat.    Under the proposed terms of these contracts, consulting rooms will be forced to shut to outpatients, for both current and future private outpatients.    Nationally, a large number of outpatient consultations will be impacted as a result. This will have considerable knock-on detrimental impacts on the quality of care received by these patients and by all patients accessing hospital services.   Examples of treatments currently undertaken at these consulting rooms include patients with possible cancer-related symptoms, post-operative wounds or blocked catheter issues.    Patients availing of these services are also naturally concerned, with private clinics receiving many queries from patients who have concerns about their ongoing care and treatment.  

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association is the representative body for over 90% of all hospital consultants. Our members are to the fore of the current national effort to contain and treat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association today (Tuesday 24 March 2020) has welcomed the decision by the Government to introduce further restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. 

President Dr Donal O’Hanlon said: 

Dr Donal O’Hanlon, President of the IHCA said:    “We welcome today’s announcement from An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on the Government’s latest response to COVID-19.    “Hospital consultants are very supportive of the Government measures announced today. The new measures are a necessary step towards facing the unprecedented challenge that the virus presents, namely, the increased risk of community transmission and the priority to now delay the spread of the virus in the period ahead.    “The IHCA and our hospital consultant members have been working closely with the Minister and Department of Health, HSE and our public health experts as the situation has developed and this engagement is ongoing to support efforts to delay and manage the spread and impact of the virus.    “In particular, at the level of our acute public hospitals, significant work is underway to better prepare our acute hospitals for the escalation in demand from coronavirus infected patients. However, our ICU facilities will be challenged, particularly, as we are starting from a position of under resourcing in these units.    “This makes a responsible response from the public even more important. We strongly urge the public and patients to continue to follow the best practice advice of our public health experts who are positioned to give the most appropriate advice over the coming weeks.    “The virus will test all healthcare staff and place huge responsibilities and burdens upon us all. As we have always done, consultants and all front-line hospital staff are working together and facing this challenge as a team, our focus remains on supporting our patients.”    ENDS