Private practice breaching limits in some hospitals

PRIVATE practice in many public hospitals continues to exceed permitted levels and, in some cases, “significantly so”, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Under their contract, public hospital consultants may see 20% or 30% of private patients but breaching these levels triggers an obligation on them to pay monies into hospital research funds.

Around a third of consultants are in breach of agreed contract rates for in-patient and day cases according to the latest Health Service Executive’s summary report on consultant private practice measurement.