Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
797 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the way the ratio of public and private work carried out by hospital consultants is measured in order to ensure compliance with contracts for public hospital work; if consultants are co-operating with hospital managers in this regard; the extent the relevant information is being withheld by consultants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33809/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's policy is to achieve fair access by patients to publicly-funded hospital capacity based on clinical need. While patients may be treated in public hospitals on a private basis, the primary role of the public hospital system is to provide services for public patients. The 2008 consultants' contract includes new measures to strengthen the management, monitoring and control of public-private activity in hospitals with a view to ensuring that the level of consultant private practice within public hospitals does not exceed the permitted ratio. Subject to that being achieved, the contract provides for the recovery of whatever income is due in respect of that level of private practice. These contractual features complement existing bed designation rules as part of the overall framework to control the level of private activity in publicly funded hospitals.
My Department has asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy on the detailed operational matters that he has raised.
798 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the average annual salary of a public-only hospital consultant and the average annual salary of a consultant on a public-private contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33810/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraMedical Consultants working in the public health service are employed by either the Health Service Executive or a Voluntary Hospital. In this regard my Department does not have specific details of average salaries paid to medical consultants and I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy concerning these.
More generally, 90% of permanent consultants working in the public health service signed up to Consultant Contract 2008. The three main types of contract which were introduced under Consultant Contract 2008 are:
Type A: Medical Consultants who hold this type of contract work exclusively for the public hospital and are remunerated solely by way of salary. They are not permitted to engage in any private practice. The salary scale for this type of contract ranges between €176,000 and €192,492 depending on geographical location and whether or not the consultant previously held the 1997 Consultant Contract.
Type B: Medical Consultants who hold this type of contract work for the public hospital but may engage in limited private practice on the public hospital campus (including in a co-located hospital) up to a maximum of 20% of total clinical throughput. The salary scale for this type of contract ranges between €172,865 and €183,562 depending on geographical location and whether or not the consultant previously held the 1997 Consultant Contract.
Type B*: This contract was available to medical consultants who held a Category II Contract and Consultants in Emergency Medicine who held a Category I Contract under the 1997 Consultants Contract. The Type B* Contract permits consultants to engage in private practice in facilities operated by the employer or in co-located private hospitals on the public hospital campus. Consultants holding this type of contract may also engage in private practice in locations outside the public hospital campus subject to them signing up to all the other terms and conditions of the new contract. The salary for consultants who took up this type of contract ranges between €158,997 and €168,226.
The above salary ranges exclude on-call and call-out payments. A more detailed breakdown of all medical consultant salary scales is available in the Consolidated Salary Scales for January 2010, which are available on my Department's website at www.dohc.ie/publications.
