By Gary Culliton. Fee negotiations with hospital consultants in mid-2012 will yield “huge savings”, the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has said, but the IMO’s Prof Pat Plunkett, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at St James’s Hospital, does not believe that major savings will result from cuts in consultants’ fee income.
Medical Columnist of the Year Dr Mick Molloy wants the Government to explain its contingency plans for the expected mass exit of consultants at the end of February 2012.
By Gary Culliton. Fines paid by consultants who are in breach of contracted private practice ratios into study funds will be ”remitted appropriately”, the HSE has insisted.
By Gary Culliton. The HSE has launched an initiative targeting consultants with the largest backlog of private-patient claims awaiting clinician sign-offs, as part of a drive to collect more cash from health insurers. The move aims to bring in an extra €50 million by December, a plan seen by IMT shows.
By Gary Culliton. The Minister for Health’s proposals for workforce flexibility and his signal that he is not seeking salary reductions for consultants have been welcomed by IHCA Secretary General Martin Varley.
Gary Culliton reports on proceedings at the IHCA Annual Conference in Waterford and the trade-off between pay cuts or greater flexibility.
The IHCA has said it regards the right and obligation of consultants to advocate in public on behalf of their patients as “sacrosanct” and says it will defend the right of consultants to so advocate.
By Gary Culliton. A major split has emerged between hospitals and the HSE at corporate level, regarding the right of new consultants to practise privately.
Gary Culliton reports on moves to penalise consultants for their private work and attempts to bring in extended working hours.
By Gary Culliton. Decoupling collection of hospital and consultant charges is key to progress in increasing the income of public hospitals from private patients.
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