Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 2

Written Answers. - Medical Indemnity Scheme.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

614 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the annual cost of the State indemnity scheme to cover the country's non-consultant hospital doctors for each of the years from 1997 to 2000 and to date in 2001. [22116/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The estimated overall full year cost of the medical indemnity scheme for NCHDs for the years 1997 to date as follows:

1997*	£6,056,000 (7,689,534)
1998	£5,076,000 (6,445,190)
1999	£5,020,000 (6,374,085)
2000*	£5,344,000 (6,785,480)
2001*	£10,742,000 (13,639,526)

*The estimates for 1997, 2000 and 2001 have been arrived at by apportioning the applicable premium over the appropriate six month period of each year as policies expired in June.

The estimates for 1998 and 1999 are based on a full year as policies expired in December. The number of NCHD posts covered has increased over the period.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

615 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the price of insuring an individual non-consultant hospital doctor in each of the years from 1998 to 2001. [22117/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The premium paid to insure non-consultant hospital doctors under the medical indemnity scheme is based on a rate per wholetime equivalent post rather than on a rate per individual doctor. As policy periods sometime overlap calendar years, the rates set out in the following table are for the relevant policy periods:

1 July 1997 – 30 December 1998	£1,800
1 January 1999 – 30 June 2000	£1,780
1 July 2000 – 30 June 2001	£2,010
1 July 2001 – 30 June 2002	£4,511.06