Call for liberalisation of medical system

DOCTORS should be paid on the basis of the number of patients they cure as opposed to the number on their books, according to BUPA Ireland managing director Martin O’Rourke.

Speaking at a Symposium in Dublin organised by the Competition Authority, he said there needs to be a liberalisation of the whole medical system where the control over the number of doctors practising is relinquished and consumers have direct access to consultants.

BUPA marketing director Sean Murray said: “We should double the number of consultants here, and I think the Irish Hospital Consultant Association (IHCA) and the Department of Health would agree with that.