“I have heard directly from a number of junior doctors who have said that their timesheets are being falsified by their hospitals. They are particularly frustrated with the fact that some hours are being recorded as training hours, when the training time was not in fact given to them. Rather, they have said, these so-called training hours are hours they simply work as part of their shifts”, Deputy Donnelly said.
“This is an incredibly serious charge, and if true, constitutes a substantive breach of trust between the hospitals and these doctors. It would constitute a similar breach of trust with the public, who must know that all doctors are receiving the necessary clinical training.
“In the context of recent revelations that there are more than 600 consultants working in our hospitals who are not on the specialist register, and this week’s scandal involving the CervicalCheck programme, these latest developments mark a very worrying trend in our health service.”
The HSE knows about these allegations regarding timesheets at a senior level, he said.
“I have written to the Health Minister requesting an immediate investigation into these claims, and to report back to the Oireachtas as a matter of urgency. I have also asked him to clarify whether he or any of his predecessors were made aware of these very serious issues.”
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