Decline in approved consultant posts raised by NDTP Medical Director

The Medical Director of HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) has raised concerns over the recent decline in the number of consultant posts approved by the consultant applications advisory committee (CAAC).

As reported in this newspaper in April, there was a 36 per cent fall in the number of consultant posts processed by the HSE last year, according to the CAAC’s annual report. The HSE’s consultant division processed a total of 347 consultant applications in 2024, which represented a reduction of 194 applications when compared to 2023.

Writing in the NDTP’s new Medical Workforce Analysis Report 2024-2025, Prof Anthony O’Regan said the drop could impact the continued expansion of the consultant workforce.

The NDTP report noted that the number of consultants employed has “increased dramatically” in recent times, rising from 3,089 in 2018 to 4,620 in 2024.

However, Prof O’Regan stated that the number of new and replacement posts approved by the committee “dropped considerably” in 2024.

“This is likely to have an effect on both the retention of qualified specialists and the continued expansion of the consultant workforce to meet demand growth.” See news feature.