Collins: Immediate action needed following “deeply concerning” HSE findings on recruitment and vetting of non-EU doctors Independent Ireland Health Spokesman and Party Leader Michael Collins TD has called for immediate action to address serious failures identified in an HSE internal audit of the recruitment and oversight of non-EU consultants. The audit examined 40 non-EU consultants recruited in 2024 across seven hospital sites in the Dublin Midlands and Dublin North-East regions. It found significant shortcomings in the recording and completion of mandatory pre-employment checks, including Garda vetting, overseas police clearance, English-language competency and occupational health clearance. The audit described governance arrangements for the recruitment of non-EU consultants as “unsatisfactory” and said “urgent” action was required. It also identified “significant inconsistency” in the application of recruitment controls across hospitals. Mr Collins said the findings raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the HSE’s recruitment oversight and that patients must be given confidence that the deficiencies identified are being dealt with immediately. “These findings are deeply concerning. It is almost inconceivable that there could be such disregard for basic vetting, verification and oversight in the recruitment of doctors who are going directly into patient-facing roles.” “Patients have every right to expect that anyone treating them in our public hospitals has undergone the necessary checks, that their qualifications and professional history have been properly verified, that their ability to communicate effectively in English has been established and that the appropriate occupational health clearances are in place.” The audit found that at least five of the 40 consultants reviewed had no Garda vetting, identity verification or references recorded, while at least 10 had no evidence of overseas police clearance. Auditors also identified low compliance with requirements relating to English-language proficiency and occupational health clearance. Mr Collins said these established requirements cannot simply be treated as administrative paperwork. “Vetting and professional checks are not optional extras. They are fundamental safeguards. When the HSE itself has procedures requiring Garda or police clearance, occupational health assessment and professional registration, the public needs to know why those controls were not consistently being demonstrated in these cases.” He said the issue was not about where a doctor came from, but about ensuring the same robust standards apply to every doctor recruited into the Irish health service. “This is not about nationality. It is about standards, patient safety and accountability. Doctors recruited from overseas make an important contribution to our health service, but every doctor — regardless of where they trained or previously worked — must be subject to rigorous and consistently applied checks before undertaking patient-facing duties.” The audit found that only two of the seven hospitals reviewed achieved full compliance with English-language competency requirements. It also identified significant regional variation in compliance with Garda vetting and other recruitment controls. Mr Collins is calling for the HSE and Department of Health to act immediately on the audit recommendations, including a review of the individual cases identified, the completion of any outstanding checks without delay, and the consistent use of a standardised recruitment checklist across all hospital sites. “The first priority now must be to establish the facts in every individual case and immediately close any outstanding gaps. Where a mandatory check has not been completed, it must be completed without delay.” “We cannot have a situation where the standard applied to a doctor depends on which hospital they happen to be recruited into. There must be one national standard, one process and clear accountability when that process is not followed.” Mr Collins also called for greater transparency around the implementation of the audit recommendations and regular reporting to the Minister for Health and the public on progress. “The HSE has said that patient safety is its foremost priority. That commitment now needs to be demonstrated through action. Patients deserve to know that the concerns raised by this audit have been taken seriously and that the necessary corrective measures are being implemented.” “Confidence in our health service depends not only on having enough doctors, but on patients knowing that proper governance, oversight and safeguards are in place. The HSE must now restore that confidence by acting decisively, transparently and immediately.” @MichaelC_IND_TD