Compensation deal for medical victims in sight
Under a soon-to-be-finalised agreement, the Department of Health will receive €45m from the Medical Defence Union to help cover claims against the group’s former members.
As such, patients who suffered from errors by the likes of disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary could see their long-delayed cases finally resolved.
The latest European Commission review of Ireland’s bailout plan confirmed the ring-fenced money would be handed over by the MDU, with the deal due to be finalised in the coming months.
Patient Focus said it expected the fund to be quickly paid out to victims of the relevant medical negligence cases, saying they deserved “to have their suffering acknowledged”.
“We know the minister is committed to bringing closure to the victims of these terrible scandals and has said so on a number of occasions. Now is the time to fulfil these promises,” a group spokesperson said.
Among the cases which will be resolved as a result of the deal are 35 claims against Mr Neary which did not fall under a previous State compensation plan. Patient Focus said victims of symphysiotomy, a surgical procedure during birth which caused life-long medical problems, should also be included.
The deal comes after a decade-long row over who was responsible for the paying the claims.
While the MDU is seen as an insurance firm, it is in fact a mutual organisation, meaning it is not obliged to pay out on claims.
It stopped covering a large number of its Irish-based members in 2004, with the Government being forced to pay the cost of any negligence claims against these doctors since that point. However, the department has repeatedly argued this should not be the case.
However, the department, said it was not in a position to comment on the deal “at this stage” as the MDU payout had “not been finalised and must be approved by Government”.
