Irish A&Es Face Critical Specialist Shortage

New figures reveal that a patient's local postcode significantly influences their chances of seeing a specialist consultant in an Irish A&E department. Those residing in the west and south-east of the country appear to have the poorest access to these vital medical professionals in emergency settings.

International guidelines recommend one Emergency Medicine (EM) consultant for every 3,600-4,000 A&E visits. However, hospitals in Galway and Waterford are only meeting approximately one EM consultant per 9,500 patient visits. Smaller hospitals show even starker ratios, with Portlaoise's Midlands Regional Hospital having one EM consultant for every 23,353 visits in 2025.

Even Cork University Hospital, which has the most consultants nationally, does not meet the target, with one EM consultant per 4,902 visits. In contrast, Dublin's St Vincent's University Hospital has a better ratio of one consultant per 5,458 visits. The HSE's National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) programme reported in 2024 that Ireland had 234 EM specialists across 26 public A&Es at the end of last year.

The HSE aims to increase the number of EM consultants to 369 full-time equivalent staff by 2038, a target that would align Ireland with UK staffing guidelines. This expansion is considered crucial for meeting the demands of a growing and aging population and improving patient care and flow within emergency departments.