The Covid-19 evaluation panel “actively sought” submissions from healthcare organisations, following a low number of submissions from individual doctors and other healthcare professionals, this newspaper understands.
Ireland’s Covid-19 evaluation panel is an independent non-statutory entity, chaired by Prof Anne Scott. It is examining the pandemic response across hospitals, the community and nursing homes, along with wider economic and societal impacts.
Speaking to the Medical Independent (MI) at the recent Health Summit in Dublin, Prof Scott said she expected the panel’s final report to reflect issues directly impacting doctors, such as “burnout” and “occupational support”.
“In terms of the individual submissions, we have received some from health workers, but not very many,” Prof Scott told MI. Prof Scott said this meant the panel reached out to medical “stakeholder organisations”, to encourage submissions from groups that would reflect the experience of doctors and other healthcare workers.
“So we have received submissions from the ICGP, the IMO, the IHCA, for sure, and a few other groups…. But where we felt there was a lack, we actively sought submissions.”
Prof Scott said the final report is expected to be published towards the end of this year.
Last month, RTÉ News reported that the panel had received more than 7,000 individual responses to its public consultation last year.
“We will be looking at the impact on the workforce,” said Prof Scott, noting that some submissions from healthcare bodies have highlighted “burnout” and the need for more “occupational support”.
“I think in terms of some of the submissions from the health workforce unions and organisations, [there is] very much talk about the need, not only to recognise the commitment and resilience of staff, but also the need to support staff on an ongoing basis.” See news feature
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