Along with the junior doctor receiving in excess of €100,000, two others received more than €95,000 with a fourth earning over €90,000 in overtime, writes Gordon Deegan
ONE LIMERICK-based junior hospital doctor received in excess of €100,000 in overtime payments from the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2007, new figures show.
In figures released through the Freedom of Information Act, they show that in 2007, a Registrar for "Ear, Nose Throat" at the Mid West Regional Hospital in Limerick received €100,065 in overtime.
The amount was the highest overtime payment received by a HSE employee in the midwest in 2007 and the figures show that the top 20 recipients in overtime in the region were all junior or non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) working mainly in the region's three acute hospitals.
The figures show that in 2007, the HSE in the midwest paid a total of €17.35 million in overtime - a marginal increase on the €17.25 million paid out in 2006.
During 2007, the HSE payroll costs were €380.7 million - an increase of €80 million or 26.6 per cent in four years.
The figures show that the top 10 recipients in 2007 were all registrars with five working in the Regional Hospital in Limerick, three at Nenagh General Hospital and two working at Ennis General.
Along with the junior doctor receiving in excess of €100,000, two others received in excess of €95,000 with a fourth earning over €90,000 in overtime.
A further six junior doctors received in excess of €70,000 in overtime payments.
About 4,750 NCHDs are working in the health service around the State.
According to figures from the Health Service Employers Agency on the salary scales for junior doctors, an intern junior doctor earns €35,534 per annum, while the salary scale for house officers goes from €41,177 to €58,374.
The figures also show that the scale for registrars goes from €53,869 to €64,384; the pay-scale for specialist registrars ranges from €64,491 to €81,747; while the pay for senior registrars goes from €69,835 to €85,520.
Fine Gael's health spokesman, Dr James Reilly, said yesterday it was "nonsensical" to run a health system where there was such a dependence on overtime. "It is outrageous what is being paid out and it can't be safe both for the doctors concerned and their patients if they are working between 60 and 80 hours a week," he said.
"This is not good for patients and is not good for the taxpayer," he added.
Labour health spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan claimed that "to have a health system so dependent on junior doctors was inefficient and reflected on a system that is not organised very well and creaking".
Deputy O'Sullivan also expressed concern for patient safety over the long hours being worked by junior doctors.
Deputy O'Sullivan said that the overtime figures heightened the need for more consultants to be appointed as soon as possible.