What is Medical Workforce Planning?
Medical workforce planning (MWP) is part of the National Doctors and Training Unit. The MWP unit addresses future projections for the appropriate staffing of the medical workforce in Ireland. This involves:
- The analysis of the supply of specialists into the medical workforce today and analysis of whether or not that supply is appropriately matched to the demand for specialist health services and patient need.
- The analysis of how supply should be planned for in light of future population, societal and health service change.
Latest Medical Workforce Planning 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 a 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.
Medical Workforce Planning Ireland A Step Wise Approach (PDF, 549 KB, 4 pages)
Medical Workforce Report 2022-2023
This report gives an overview of the publicly funded medical workforce in Ireland and includes an annual assessment of both consultant and NCHD posts in the health system.
NDTP Medical Workforce Report 2023
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:
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.
Demand For Medical Consultants And Specialists To 2028 And The Training Pipeline To Meet Demand: A High Level Stakeholder Informed Analysis
A comparison of the publicly funded medical workforce in Ireland with international jurisdictions.
This comparison was developed with similar models of health service delivery and postgraduate training.
A comparison of the publicly funded medical workforce in Ireland with International Jurisdictions (PDF)
Specialty Specific Reviews
Anaesthesiology Review
Increases in both training and consultant Anaesthesiology numbers projected to 2038 are presented in the findings of a report from NDTP and the NCPA.
Anaesthesiology Medical Workforce in Ireland 2023-2038
See our catalogue of Specialty Specific Reviews