u/Middle-Paramedic7918

It’s expected that pharmacists will be given the ability to prescribe the oral contraceptive pill by the end of 2026. This will be for repeat prescriptions only and will involve having their blood pressure monitored and a consultation. After a period of 4.5 years a go will need to fill out the prescription.

What are people’s thought on this?To me it seems like a sensible solution. It’s a relatively large burden of work on gp’s and it’s a clear and definite pathway.

Will this lead the way for more prescribing by pharmacists or other non doctor prescribers?

What do people think private healthcare in Ireland will look like in 10 or 20 years time?

My prediction is that it will massively expand. Both in terms of the number of private hospitals and the size and capacity of existing ones.

For several reasons. Increased population growth with an aging population. A successful economy with more people in employment. A lack of capacity in the public systems, particularly with regard to day case procedures, access to consultant clinics, diagnostics and elective procedures.

It’s no surprise that Larry Goodman and Dennis O’Brien are expanding their financial interests in private healthcare in Ireland

There have been a few threads lately discussing medical education, training and working life in medicine in the US. The vast majority of responses have been positive, praising the way the system and hospitals work and generally fawning over the working lives of residents and attendings.

I’m not saying that UK postgraduate medical training is superior to that in the US. What I am saying is that when you look at the OECD health outcomes data, the US is an outlier, not in a good way.

It spends far more money per person and as a proportion of gdp than almost any other comparable country. The health outcomes are average at best. Life expectancy is below most oecd countries. Percentage of life with limitations to activity is higher than most. Age adjusted mortality is higher than most.

Deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease are worse than most. Infant mortality is shockingly high, as is maternal mortality. Cancer mortality is quite good in fairness.

My point is not that the NHS or residential doctor training is brilliant, or necessarily even better than the US. My point is that the USA is not necessarily a shining beacon on the hill.

I’m currently working in Ireland as a consultant doctor. I’ve always had an interest in military medicine and the defence forces. I didn’t join the PDF as a medical officer due to the limited progression and poorer pay.

Is it possible to join the RDF as a doctor? Are there roles for doctors in the RDF?

The NDTP recently published their medical workforce analysis report for 2024/2025. It makes for some interesting reading, if in parts unsurprising.

What would you esteemed redditors like to see happen to post graduate doctor training in Ireland?

Personally, I think that less rotational training cannot come soon enough.

In terms of workforce planning, matching consultant posts to the number of cscst per year needs to happen. I know there have been attempts to line these two up, but from this report it’s well off.

What changes would you like to see happen?

I saw this topic on the doctorsuk sub and thought that it would be interesting to do in an Irish context. So what are your hot takes or controversial opinions.

I’ll start;

1. It should be easier to get rid of trainees off training schemes.

2. The majority of NCHD CVs are poorly laid out and generally don’t look very good. They do not compare well against CVs for law or consulting jobs.

3. There are far too many emergency departments in Ireland. The only reason that some of them are open is that it would be politically unpopular to close them.

4. Some NCHDs will never be capable of being decent consultants. We should introduce staff grade or associate specialist roles in Ireland, similar to the UK.

5. The role for private healthcare will only increase as the population ages and as the treatments get better and more expensive. It’s unrealistic to have a fully taxpayer funded public only system which will treat everyone for everything all of the time.