Doctors treating public patients in private hospitals will be covered by State indemnity

Hospital consultants who treat public patients in private hospitals that have been effectively taken into the public system as part of the Government’s plan to deal with the coronavirus crisis will be covered by State’s clinical indemnity scheme, it has emerged.

The State Claims Agency told doctors' representatives on Thursday that such indemnity cover will also apply retrospectively in cases where a private sector consultant treating public patients had not yet signed up to the Government's proposed new temporary contract. However, this would be on condition that neither the patient, a health insurer, the HSE nor the hospital was billed for the service.

The State Claims Agency also said, however, that its clinical indemnity cover would only apply for private sector consultants who had not signed the Government’s proposed contract and who treated patients in private hospitals until midnight on Sunday April 19th.

The State Claims Agency said this was to allow for issues in relation to the proposed contract to be clarified between the Government and the consultants’ representatives.

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The Government has proposed that about 600 private sector medical specialists, who it wants to bring into the public system, should sign a temporary locum contract - known technically as a Type A contract - which would allow them only to see public patients.

Many of these consultants have expressed concern at the implications of this move on the continuity of care for their existing private patients.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has urged its members not to sign the proposed new contract pending clarifications which it is seeking from the HSE and the Department of Health.

The Government has already signed a deal with 19 private hospitals which would allow it to effectively take over their 2,000 beds and other facilities for a three-month period to provide it with greater capacity for dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.

In a note to members on Thursday the IHCA said it and its private practice working group had held talks on outstanding issues with the HSE in recent days and further discussions were likely to take place.

The IHCA also advised consultants that in cases where revenue had decreased, the Government’s temporary wage subsidy scheme may be available to those who employed secretaries, practice nurses and other support staff.