Vol. 551 No. 3
161 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the implications the Medical Protection Society's annual indemnity fee for consultant obstetricians has in view of the fact that the Medical Protection Society's annual indemnity fee for consultant obstetricians is to rise in 2002 by more than ?13,000 or 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10361/02]
While this development is of concern it does not have any immediate implications for the delivery of obstetric services in Ireland. The clinical negligence scheme which is due to come into effect from 1 July 2002 provides for the change of existing arrangements for the provision of medical indemnity so that individual consultants who work in the public hospital system will not have to provide their own indemnity cover for their public work. This will remove the need for consultants to pay the amounts now being charged for indemnity cover even though the bulk of this cost is borne by the Exchequer by way of a 80% to 90% reimbursement for those who work in the public sector. To tackle the longer term issues in this area the group established to look at alternative ways of providing cover for infants who suffer brain damage at birth, including a "no fault" compensation scheme, has had several meetings and is due to produce an interim report in the coming months.
