Cork University Hospital is struggling to attract and retain radiation therapists which is leading to delays in cancer patients accessing treatments.
Radiation therapy offers targeted high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and is one of the main treatments for cancer patients.
SIPTU, which represents radiation therapists, says that four radiation machines, known as linear accelerators, are not being fully used in Cork, Galway, and Dublin and they say there is a 30% workforce shortfall leading to fewer treatment slots.
CUH says they're involved in an ongoing recruitment campaign to address the shortage and in the meantime the HSE is offering more overtime to staff.
Speaking to RedFM News SIPTU's John McCamley says a long term resolution needs to be found:
"Overtime and staff working out-of-hours is a short term solution, and there is a concern that it would lead to burnout of staff, working excessive hours over a long period of time. What we really need to address is the root cause of the retention and recruitment issues for radiation therapists across the country".
