Cork University Hospital is recruiting for a number of positions, including consultants in cancer care because of resignations.

Ten consultants in cancer services at Cork University Hospital have resigned in recent years.

Figures compiled by the Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) show that many consultancy posts at the hospital (posts involving early diagnosis and treatment of cancer) are either vacant or filled temporarily.

There is concern that care for cancer patients in Cork is being impacted as a result of resignations.

In a statement to The Echo, a spokesperson for CUH said: “As is normal with a hospital of this scale, vacancies arise on an ongoing basis.

“Cork University Hospital is actively recruiting for a number of positions, including consultants, through the HSE National Recruitment Service (NRS).” Cork GP Dr Nick Flynn said there was huge concern, in terms of “both the gap in services and the continuity of care.”

“If there is a cancer patient going to see their doctors for three months or so and then that doctor is poached, then a new doctor has to come in, get used to that patient, and gain their trust all over again, when they’re at a very vulnerable time in their life,” he said.

“We see patients coming in worried and losing hope, because the doctor they relied on has been poached by the private sector.”

Dr Flynn called for public pay and resources to be made more attractive to ensure consultants and other staff stay in their roles.

“New consultants are coming into the sector, bringing new skills and new expertise, but they’re being paid 20% less than their colleagues. If the HSE and public sector continue to fail to offer attractive terms to consultants, nurses, and others in the field, they will continue to be poached.”