What is Medical Workforce Planning?
The Medical Workforce Planning team, based within the National Doctors Training & Planning (NDTP), addresses future projections for the appropriate staffing of the medical workforce in Ireland. This mainly involves:
- Analysing the current supply of specialists in the medical workforce and analysing whether or not that supply is appropriately matched to the demand for specialist health services and patient need.
- Analysing how supply should be planned for in light of future population, societal and health service change.
Latest Medical Workforce Planning Reports
Medical Workforce Analysis Report
The Medical Workforce Analysis Report, published annually by NDTP, gives an overview of the publicly funded medical workforce in Ireland, for the given year, as well as highlighting changes in the workforce over recent years. The report also includes the mandated annual assessment of both Consultant and NCHD posts in the health system. Our latest report can be accessed below with previous reports found here.
Medical Workforce Report 2023-2024 in Numbers
Annual Retention Report
There is limited quantitative evidence on the migration patterns of training doctors in Ireland. In February 2023, NDTP published an article entitled The Retention of Training Doctors in the Irish Health System. The aim of this study was to estimate the number of trainee doctors leaving the Irish health system and the numbers returning. The study used data from the DIME (Doctors Integrated Management E-System) database to show the career paths of doctors from internships to consultant posts. Through quantification of DIME data, findings from this study identified that while many doctors leave the Irish health system the vast majority will return. A link to the article can be found here.
The Annual Retention Report, an extension of The Retention of Training Doctors in the Irish Health System article published by NDTP in early 2023, will be published on an annual basis going forward. While there have been concerns about the retention of Irish trained doctors from many years, there has been a paucity of data to accurately describe the complex flows of doctors moving in and out of Ireland as they progress through the various stages of training and on to consultant posts. This report aims to track these complex flows and the evolution of retention rates over time. The report for 2023 can be viewed below:
Specialty Specific Reviews
Speciality Specific Reviews are developed to provide evidence-based data and projections for the current and future requirements for each of the medical specialities.
For more information and to view the latest speciality specific reports please click here.
General Practice Workforce Planning Report
A specific report detailing the future requirements for General Practice (GP). For further information and to view the report please click here.
Other Reports
Medical Workforce Planning Ireland: A step wise approach
This methodology guides the user through a series of phases to develop a strategic workforce plan for specific or multiple groups of medical health professionals within the Irish healthcare system. The plan will include recommendations to support the development of the medical workforce over a defined period of time, typically 10 years.
Demand for Medical Consultants and Specialists to 2028 and the Training Pipeline to Meet Demand: A High Level Stakeholder Informed Analysis
This report was developed with a view to providing evidence around the current and future demand for consultant/specialist doctors across medical specialties in Ireland, in order to inform postgraduate medical training and consultant appointment requirements for the country to 2028. This is a dynamic report, which is constantly modified as information is updated.
A Comparison of the Publically Funded Medical Workforce in Ireland with International Jurisdictions
This comparison was developed with similar models of health service delivery and postgraduate training.
