Vol. 461 No. 3
40 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the spiralling cost of medical protection insurance premiums; if he intends introducing a medical review panel to hear cases in a speedy and non-adversarial manner in order to reduce costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2722/96]
Limerick East): My Department has been concerned with the growing cost of medical indemnity cover for doctors and dentists working in public health agencies. This country has, in common with all developed countries, experienced growth, both in the number and in the average cost of civil claims against doctors.
While the Deputy will appreciate that the issues involved are extremely complex, touching as they do on fundamental rights under the Constitution, my Department has taken a number of initiatives to reduce costs. These include the introduction of a group medical indemnity scheme in 1992 which provides cover for non-consultant hospital doctors, public health doctors, and dentists employed by health boards and some others. A number of risk management pilot projects have also been established in health agencies around the country with the object of identifying and eliminating adverse incidents which give rise to claims.
My Department has also recently retained the services of consultants with the task of evaluating the existing arrangements and making recommendations to improve the current medical indemnity and public liability insurance arrangements in place in the health services. The consultants have been asked to consider the type of system proposed by the Deputy.
