Hospital interns asked to perform duties they aren't qualified for, report finds
Hospital interns have been asked to do duties they are not qualified for, according to new Medical Council reports.
The council has been looking at nine hospitals around the country to check their training standards.
The inspections were carried out at the university hospitals, in Galway, Letterkenny, Portiuncula, Sligo, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, the Mercy, and South Tipperary General Hospital.
While for the most part they were found to be at least partially complying with standards, the inspections found that some interns were being asked to perform duties above their grade.
Trainees were left unsupervised when a consultant was absent for a week.
In other situations, medical registrars refused to write notes in patients charts and left this for interns to complete, regardless if they had seen the patient or not.
There was also allegations of bullying and a lack of respect shown to trainees.
Hospital Groups must submit an action plan following an inspection and the medical council says implementation plans will be monitored on an annual basis.
