Louise O'Reilly
Question:775. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the policy of his predecessor will be pursued to allow the building of private treatment rooms in the new national children’s hospital. [14195/20]
View answerTuesday, 7 July 2020
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Written answers
The Programme for Government commits to finalising the new Slaintecare consultant contract and to legislating for public-only work in public hospitals.
Currently, as part of the Common Contract for Consultants negotiated in 2008, many consultants holding specific contracts are entitled to engage in private outpatient practice outside of their public commitment. The 2008 Common Contract obliges the employer to provide facilities on the hospital campus for outpatient private practice and the provision of such facilities off-campus, on an interim basis, pending provision of on-campus facilities. Private clinics are currently located on the grounds of each the existing three children’s hospitals. The new children's hospital is obliged to provide such facilities for consultants holding these contracts.
Accordingly, while the vast majority of services in the new children’s hospital will be public services, within the new hospital an area has been planned which carries the designation of "private clinic". The private outpatient clinic at the new children’s hospital represents circa 0.25% of the clinical space within the new children’s hospital. There are a total of 129 outpatient clinical exam rooms primarily accessed off the main concourse on the ground and lower ground floor of the new children’s hospital, each of which are identical in design and fit out. There are 8 clinical exam rooms in the private clinic.
Ultimately, the proposal is for consultants to pay a fee for use of private rooms and other operational costs. The proposed level of fee has not been determined yet.
It is important to recognise that the capacity being planned for the new children’s hospital is national capacity based upon the assessment of healthcare needs and future demographic developments. Accordingly, these clinic rooms will be required to meet the estimated demand for paediatric outpatient and inpatient services, whether publicly or privately provided.