Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 November 2017
174. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the audit of consultant contract compliance as reported to have commenced in May 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49641/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on the position regarding the audit of consultant contract compliance.
A key objective of Consultant Contract 2008 is to improve access for public patients to public hospital care. The contract sets out clear rules on the level of private practice that may be undertaken by consultants, depending on the individual contract held, and the arrangements for measurement and management of the public/private mix. Consultants holding a Type A contract are not permitted to engage in privately remunerated professional practice. Consultants holding a Type B contract may undertake private practice on-site, up to a limit of 20% of activity on a casemix-adjusted basis, and limited off-site private practice in cases where the individual consultant held a Category I or Category II contract under the Consultants Contract 1997. Serving consultants whose public to private ratio in 2006 was greater than 20% are permitted to retain this higher ratio, subject to an overriding maximum ratio of 70:30%. Consultants holding a B* Contract or a Type C Contract may engage in off-site private practice. Their in-patient and out-patient private practice activity is also subject to maximum limits.
It is incumbent on publicly-funded hospitals to ensure compliance with the terms of the contract, including the provisions in relation to private practice. My Department has been working with the HSE on this matter in recent months and emphasised that the HSE satisfy itself that no consultant is engaged, or will be permitted to engage, in private practice beyond the level, if any, provided for in their contract.
