• Publication of the HSE Service Plan for 2025 confirms that an effective recruitment freeze remains in place and health services will continue to struggle to meet patient needs

Friday January 17, 2025. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said that the healthcare measures announced in the Programme for Government this week lack any detail on resources or implementation dates and are, in many cases, a repeat of previous commitments that have not been met.

It said the HSE Service Plan for 2025, published just a day before the Programme for Government, clearly demonstrates that we will see no significant increase in capacity with just 300 beds planned for the coming year and no plan to address the chronic medical workforce shortages throughout the system.

The IMO warned that 2025 will see an effective recruitment freeze, unsafe and dangerous pressures within our Emergency Departments, patients waiting too long for care in our acute and community services and General Practice facing increased and unsustainable demands.

Speaking today, Dr Denis McCauley, President of the IMO, said: “Our health services need to be a priority for the incoming Government and if this Programme for Government is to mean anything we must very quickly see a detailed implementation plan with a corresponding commitment to funding. 

“Doctors and other healthcare professionals are struggling to deliver care in environments that are under-resourced, under-staffed and under pressure.  Patients all around the country are facing problems accessing care whether that be in General Practice, mental health services, acute hospital services or community services. 

“The IMO has long campaigned for adequate capacity, a funded medical workforce plan and investment in General Practice – we will be seeking to urgently engage with the incoming Minister for Health in terms of implementation and a realistic multi-annual funding programme for our health services that meets the needs of the population and allows doctors to deliver timely care.”