More consultants needed to tackle A&E crisis: Drumm
30/03/2006 - 11:21:41The head of the Health Service Executive has said more consultants are needed to tackle the long-running problem of overcrowding in A&E units across the country.
Professor Brendan Drumm made the comment while presenting an update on reform of the health services to the Oireachtas health committee today.
"We need decision-making to be made in the hospital by senior people on a daily basis," he said.
"When you go to your general practitioner, a decision is made by a senior operative on the day. When you go to our hospital system, that is not the case.
"That implies that we have to put a huge emphasis on increasing our consultant numbers and having a contractual arrangement that has senior decision-making occur every day."
