The National Task Force of Medical Staffing, chaired by businessman Mr David Hanly, was established in February 2002 by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
Its purpose was:
• to devise a strategy for reducing the average working hours of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) so as to achieve the requirements of the European Working Time Directive which stipulates NCHDs must not work for more than an average of 58 hours per week by August 2004, 56 hours per week by 2007 and 48 hours per week by 2009;
• address the consequent medical staffing needs of Irish hospitals;
analyse the practical implications of moving to a consultant-provided rather than a consultant-led service;
• and to consider the requirements for medical education and training arising from any changes to the current model of delivering services.
The task force's terms of reference charged it with "devising, costing and promoting implementation of a new model of hospital service delivery based on appropriately trained doctors providing patients with the highest quality of service, using available resources as equitably, efficiently and effectively as possible".
It has some 50 members, some nominated by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation. Members include Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive Officer, Health Research Board; Mr Paul Barron, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health; Dr Richard Brennan, Chairperson, Irish College of General Practitioners; Prof Gerard Bury, President, Medical Council; Dr Jane Buttimer, Medical Director, National Task Force on Medical Staffing / Medical Education and Training; Mr Jim Breslin, Senior Commissioner, Eastern Regional Health Authority; Prof Anthony Clare, Consultant Psychiatrist, St. Patrick's Hospital; Dr Deborah Condell, Consultant Histopathologist, Cavan Monaghan Hospital Group; Mr Rory Costello, Industrial Relations Executive, Health Service Employers' Agency; Mr Frank Ahern, Director, Personnel Management and Development, Department of Health (his place was later taken by Mr Bernard Carey); Mr Denis Doherty, Chief Executive Officer, Health Boards Executive; Dr Trevor Duffy, Specialist Registrar, Rheumatology, St. Vincent's University Hospital; Ms Sheila Early, Medical Manpower Manager, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; Senator Geraldine Feeney, Chair, Medical Council Ethics Committee; Dr Patricia Fitzsimons, Consultant Radiologist, Sligo General Hospital; Dr Kate Ganter, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lucena Clinic, Dublin; Mr John Gloster, Chief Officer, Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board; Mr John Hayden, Chief Executive, Higher Education Authority; Dr Mary Hynes, Regional Manager, Acute Services, Western Health Board ; Mr Asam Ishtiaq, Registrar, Surgery, Waterford Regional Hospital; Mr Nicky Jermyn, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent's University Hospital; Dr Verena Keane, Consultant Psychiatrist, Learning Disability, St Vincent's Centre, Navan Road and St Michael's House, Dublin; Dr Peter Kelly, Consultant Histopathologist, Mater Hospital; Dr Jim Kiely, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health; Prof Gerry Loftus, Consultant Paediatrician, University College Hospital Galway; Dr Timothy Lynch, Consultant Neurologist, Mater Hospital; Mr Tommie Martin, Chief Officer, Comhairle na nOspidéal; Mr Jim McCaffrey, Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance (on retiring he was replaced by Mr Michael Scanlan); Ms Mary McCarthy, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health; Dr Eilis McGovern, Consultant Cardio-thoracic Surgeon, St. James's Hospital; Dr Peter McKenna, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Rotunda Hospital; Prof T.J. McKenna, Consultant Physician in Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin; Dr Mick Molloy, Registrar, Emergency Medicine, St. Vincent's University Hospital; Mr Joe Mooney, Principal Officer, Department of Finance; Dr Sean Murphy, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Longford/ Westmeath General Hospital; Mr Colman O'Leary, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick; Ms Yvonne O'Shea, Chief Executive Officer, National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery; Dr Dela Osthoff, Registrar, Child Psychiatry, St. Anne's Children's Centre, Galway; Dr Jenny Porter, Consultant Anaesthetist, Longford Westmeath General Hospital, Mullingar; Mr Pawan Rajpal, Consultant General Surgeon, Cavan/Monaghan Hospital Group; Mr Pat Ring, Principal Officer, Department of Finance; Dr Sheelah Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Western Health Board; Prof Arthur Tanner, Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Ms Vivienne Tegg, Human Resources Director, South Eastern Health Board; Dr Eamonn Tierney, Consultant Anaesthetist, Wexford General Hospital; Mr Sean Tierney, Consultant General Surgeon, Tallaght Hospital; Dr Cillian Twomey, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital; Dr Dermot Walsh, Inspector of Mental Hospitals; and Ms Frances Walsh, Physiotherapy Manager, Cork University Hospital.