HSE

HSE must ensure the 226 Hospital Consultants in Breach of Contract are Monitored-Public Accounts Committee

The Health Service Executive must ensure that those hospital consultants who are not adhering to the stipulated public/private mix of the consultants’ contract are not allowed to continue with this practice, the D il Public Accounts Committee has insisted today.

HSE executives told the Public Accounts Committee that they had written to 226 hospital consultants to inform them that there were in breach of the public/private patient mix requirement. Under the terms of the contract accepted by 86% of hospital consultants they must carry out 80% public and 20% private work.

The Committee was told that a provision exists in the contract which allows a period of time for those consultants who have not achieved the 80:20 ratio to change their work practices accordingly. The HSE said that by May this year they hope these consultants will be in line with their contract stipulation.

Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“The new hospital consultants’ contract is clear regarding the limited level of private work most consultants are permitted to carry out. The fact that over two hundred of them have still not reached this requirement is unsatisfactory.

The HSE has contacted the relevant individuals to remind them of their responsibility, and this Committee intends to monitor their response. We cannot tolerate a situation where highly paid individuals are failing to perform their contractual duties to provide health services to the public.

Under their contract any revenue generated from additional private work must be returned to their hospital and we urge the HSE not to hesitate to do this in cases where blatant violations have occurred."