Task force to tackle health staff shortages
The Government is to establish a task force to deal with staff shortages in the health service.
Health Minister Micheal Martin announced the move today, just hours before the beginning of talks on a planned strike in accident and emergency departments countrywide.
The minister said the task force’s aim is to prepare a plan that will increase the number of consultants in a cost-effective way.
"We really want to change from a consultant-led service to a consultant-provided service over the coming years," he said.
"In that context, the task force will now go about its work in terms of mapping out what the detail of that type of model is likely to be in different regions of the country.
"What we really want from the task force is a model as to how we can move to a consultant-provided system."
