Anger over Coalition U-turn on hospital consultants’ pay

A GOVERNMENT U-turn on its pledge to reduce the lucrative salaries of hospital consultants while planning harsh budget measures for low-income medical card holders has come under fire from the opposition.

Despite a promise in the Programme for Government to introduce a new consultants’ contract with reduced pay, Health Minister James Reilly has abandoned the plan in favour of extracting greater flexibilities from them.

According to a spokesman for Dr Reilly, savings of more than €100 million a year can be made through improved bed use under three programmes driven by consultants. This figure is comparable to what Dr Reilly told Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin could be saved by capping hospital consultants’ salaries at €150,000.