DOZENS OF consultant posts in voluntary hospitals have been redesignated to allow the doctors concerned to see fee-paying patients in off-site centres.
The move comes ahead of the introduction of a new contract for consultants that will place limits on the number of posts in which doctors working in the public sector can also treat patients in off-campus private hospitals.
The Irish Times understands more than 200 hospital consultants who currently hold "category one" contracts that restrict them from carrying out private practice in public hospitals have sought to switch to "category two" agreements. This would permit them to see fee-paying patients in off-site private hospitals when they have fulfilled public commitments.
It is understood about 60 category one posts in voluntary hospitals, which are run by independent boards but funded by the taxpayer, have been redesignated as category two positions.
However, all consultants working in HSE-run hospitals who sought to switch to category two contracts have been turned down in recent weeks.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) said 123 consultants in HSE-operated hospitals had sought to have their contracts reclassified as category two agreements. However, it said none of the 61 applications that had been dealt with so far had been approved.
Donal Duffy of the IHCA said there was a number of reasons for the consultants to change their contracts. He said when the HSE had sought to impose restrictions on the number of such posts, some doctors thought they must be worth having. He said other consultants were so frustrated trying to have their patients treated in public hospitals that they saw the potential in the option of having them admitted to other facilities.
Under an agreement reached between health service management and medical organisations earlier this year, consultants holding category two positions will be able to retain existing off-site private practice rights, even if they opt for the new form of contract.
Such consultants, however, will have to agree to operate other elements of the new contract, such as working as part of teams over a longer working day.
Consultants in category one posts will be offered contracts that allow them to work exclusively in the public sector or with limited private practice rights in public or co-located private facilities. The new contract, agreed after four years of negotiations, is being legally drafted and is expected to be offered to doctors shortly. The HSE has advertised for over 100 new consultants to be recruited under the new contract.
The Department of Health has maintained that cutbacks will not affect this recruitment process or the introduction of the new contract for consultants.Minister for Health Mary Harney announced last week that savings of €144 million are to be generated in the health sector this year.