Junior doctor gets more than €136k in overtime payments
According to records released through the Freedom of Information Act, a total of €10.67m in overtime payments was claimed in 2010 by junior doctors in the Limerick/ Clare/Tipperary region.
The payment of €136,692 to a registrar operating in medicine, at Limerick’s Midwest Regional Hospital represents more than a doubling of the pay rates to registrars, which range from €50,578 to €60,305.
The figures show the next highest overtime earning doctor was a registrar engaged in “oral and maxillo-facial surgery” who received €94,368, while a house officer working in the Ear, Nose and Throat department at the Midwest Regional Hospital secured €92,429.
The bill of €10.67m represents a 10% decrease on the €11.9m paid in overtime to junior doctors in the midwest in 2009.
The figures further show 14 of the top 20 recipients were junior doctors based at the Midwest Regional Hospital.
The top 20 received €1.5m in overtime payments last year.
Dr Anthony O’Connor of the Irish Medical Organisation’s (IMO) Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor committee said yesterday junior doctors have no choice but to work the long hours.
“None of this overtime is optional and the long hours have a serious impact on home life, your quality of life and your health,” he said.
Dr O’Connor said that he works between 70 and 75 hours per week. He said: “The long hours are a burden and it makes it difficult on family relationships and having any hobbies.”
Having studied the election manifestos of all of the major parties, he said: “I can’t see any proposals that address the junior doctors’ overtime issue.”
Dr O’Connor suggested: “The obvious thing is rather than having 10 junior doctors working 70 hours, it would be far better to have 15 junior doctors working 40 hours but that would be more costly to the HSE.”
The quality of life for junior doctors in Ireland and the lack of promotion prospects are major factors in doctors going abroad for work, he claimed.
Labour’s health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said yesterday: “My chief concern about the junior doctors’ overtime is for patient safety and, with the long hours junior doctors work, you would have to question if this is safe. It has to be ended.” She acknowledged that “so many junior doctors are going abroad because there is no proper promotion system in place and that has to be reformed”.
The Limerick-east deputy said Labour’s proposed “fundamental reform” of the health system would tackle the issue of junior doctors’ overtime through a consultant-led service.
IMO figures, meanwhile, show pay rates for junior doctors extend from €33,619 for an intern to €76,071 for the most experienced specialist registrar.
