Statement on staffing crisis within Radiation Therapist profession in Ireland

The Irish Institute of Radiography and Radiation Therapy (IIRRT) would like to draw attention to the current
staffing crisis that exists within the radiation therapist profession in the Republic of Ireland and the
subsequent impact of these staff shortages on the provision of radiotherapy services nationally.

Radiotherapy is a vital treatment option for cancer patients with approximately 50% of all patients with
cancer requiring radiation therapy at some point.

Radiotherapy service provision is based on agreed national staffing models, set out by the National Cancer
Control Programme, which are designed to deliver 100% of planned services when departments are fully
staffed. Given the lean nature of the staffing models, any reduction in staffing levels which is not or cannot
be backfilled will have a negative effect on the level of service provision.

Currently, radiation therapist staffing deficits across the public facilities is running between 15-30% and this
figure is largely mirrored within private facilities. As a result, there has been forced machine closures in
public facilities meaning that they are unable to provide 100% of the available radiotherapy capacity to public
patients. This comes at a time where the demand for radiotherapy services is already greater than what a
fully operating service can provide.

The knock-on effect to these machine closures in an already overstretched system is that some cancer
patients requiring radiotherapy have had to be placed on waiting lists and key performance indicators (KPI)
targets which are aimed at ensuring patients receive timely access have fallen. Delays in access to cancer
treatments may negatively impact a patient’s outcome.

Staffing shortages also have a detrimental impact to staff’s health and wellbeing as those who remain within
the service struggle to maintain these vital services under increasingly challenging conditions leading to
increased levels of burnout, stress and work related absences. This in turn further exacerbates the problem
leading to higher levels of staff turnover. Additionally, staffing shortages negatively impact service
development which is particularly pertinent given the fast paced technological advancements within the field
of radiotherapy.

The IIRRT acknowledges the current medical manpower crisis across the wider healthcare sector where
staffing levels have hit record lows and according to projections from the ERSI, an additional 15000
healthcare workers are needed by 2035. The IIRRT calls on the Minister of Health and the Government to
take immediate action to secure the provision of vital radiotherapy services in the short-term and to ensure
a timely conclusion to the radiation therapist review which is currently underway in order to safeguard the
profession in the long-term.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss any of the above please contact iirrtpresident@gmail.com