Cork doctor speaks out about plans to cut 18 newly-qualified doctors on Leeside

At the onset of the COVID19 pandemic  hundreds of additional intern jobs were created however it's understood the decision has been made not to offer the additional jobs to the 2021 cohort of interns.

It means 11 positions will be cut at Cork University Hospital, four at Bon Secours, one at Bantry General Hospital, one at Mallow General Hospital and one at Mitchelstown General Practice which amounts to over 20% of Cork’s intern doctor workforce.

RedFM News has requested a statement from the HSE. 

Speaking to RedFM News Dr Cormac Duff of Keep Our Doctors Campaign says the impact will be huge: "This means that hospitals in Cork will be understaffed so doctors will have to work more 12 and 24 hour shifts, more night shifts, and they won't be able to give patients the care and attention they deserve. It means patients will take longer to recover, longer to get home from hospital, because they won't have doctors there to support them. It also means longer waiting less time for patients, there's hundreds of thousands of Irish people on waiting lists. Many people in Cork or waiting months or years to see a specialist, and these lists will only get longer if we continue to cut doctors. "