The Irish Healthcare system is suffering an acute shortage of qualified workers and is in danger of running out of skilled professionals resulting in significant increases in waiting lists and vital services .
The Irish Times reported yesterday that more than 300 Irish Doctors have obtained working visas for Australia and that Doctor emigration on this scale is unsustainable .
Indeed from 2008, Australia has emerged as the destination of choice for Irish trained Doctors with 1,063 Irish Doctors registered in Australia in 2015/2016 .
The latest data from the OCED shows that Ireland ranks mid-table in the number of doctors per capita with Ireland having 3 Doctors per 1,000 people .
Ireland is suffering from a severe shortage of GPs and the shortage is expected to get worst as more and more GPs leave the Irish Health Service due to the introduction of free GP care for under-6s and the many hours that GPs have to work in Ireland compared to Australia and other locations .
Meanwhile the HSE have run a number of overseas recruitment campaigns aimed at attracting back medical professionals to Ireland , most of these campaigns resulted in little or no recruitment and issues such as the Irish Taxation rate, progression and rates of pay failed to attract medical professionals overseas as they are enjoying much better conditions in overseas countries .
Indeed one such campaign succeeded in wooing just 88 Irish nurses home from the UK at a cost of 250,000 Euro .The campaign had a target of attracting 500 nurses and the HSE had to fork out an additional 198,000 euro to recruitment agencies .
Dr Niamh Humphries is traveling to Australia to carry out detailed research on Irish Doctors who emigrated and is keen to talk to Irish trained Doctors in Australia over the coming months. If you are an Irish trained Doctor in Australia and would like to get involved in the research contact niamhhumphries@rcpi.ie or @humphries_niamg on twitter .
If you are a Medical Professional who is considering Ireland as an option contact chloe@project.blueberry.ie for a confidential independent conversation about the current opportunities in the sector.
For the hSE and other Irish employers Back 4 Good -Your future in Ireland is the fastest growing platform for medical professionals in Ireland .Contact Back 4 Good today for all your HR and Talent requirements.
