In 2022, Ireland saw an influx of foreign-trained doctors, with over 70 per cent of newly-practicing physicians hailing from overseas, indicating a significant reliance on internationally educated medical graduates in the country. This information was part of the Irish Medical Council’s 2022 Medical Workforce Intelligence Report, released on Friday, highlighting potential threats to patient safety resulting from doctors’ prolonged working hours.
There was a 15 per cent rise in the number of doctors registering with the Medical Council for the first time in 2022, totalling 3,008, relative to 2,605 the previous year. Only 28 per cent of these fresh entrants were trained in Ireland, with the remainder having received their certifications outside the state.
The top countries where these foreign-trained physicians originated were Pakistan, Sudan, and the United Kingdom, together contributing 45.8 per cent, or 3,191 medics.
The report shed light on violations of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD), stipulating a working week not exceeding 48 hours. In the said year, over a quarter of Ireland’s clinically active doctors reported an average weekly workload surpassing these limits. Moreover, over half of all trainee specialists were working beyond these stipulated hours, raising serious patient safety concerns.
In the same year, 1,341 doctors, among them 593 women, chose to withdraw their Medical Council registration voluntarily. The split was quite even, with 43.7 per cent of those withdrawing being Ireland-trained, and 56.3 per cent being overseas graduates. A voluntary withdrawal survey indicated reasons ranged from limited progression and training opportunities, subpar working conditions, personal or family reasons, plans for international practice, to specific issues such as registration requirements, and the end of the Covid-19 related emergency responses.
Many doctors revealed that their withdrawals were due to practicing medicine outside of Ireland or plans to move and practice in other countries temporarily or long-term. Predominantly, these destinations were the United Kingdom and Australia, trailed by Canada and New Zealand.
Medical professionals, particularly those from Pakistan, often return to their home countries, either to continue work or for advanced training, following a stint in Ireland, according to a common observation. The President of the Medical Council of Ireland, Dr Suzanne Crowe, praised the growing number of women in the Irish medical sector. However, she mentioned the high number of physicians relinquishing their license.
Many physicians who gave up their registration in 2022 do so due to personal and health reasons. Balancing personal caregiving obligations and exhaustive schedules with limited childcare provisions pose challenges, particularly for interns. Mx Crowe stressed that there is help available for doctors who might be struggling with physical or mental health issues and added that measures should be taken to better support them.
Meanwhile, Prof Rob Landers, who presides over the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, highlighted an alarming increase in withdrawals – a third more compared to the year before. He expressed added concern over the fact that a significant proportion of specialists – 361 individuals, which is 27% of the total voluntary withdrawals – chose to relinquish their affiliations with the Specialist Division of the Register in 2022.
Stay informed with our Inside Politics Podcast and sign up for notifications to get the latest news, analysis, and commentary straight to your phone. Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp to stay up to date.