Consultants face action over form delays
Yesterday, Tony O’Brien, the HSE director general designate, said names would be published and individuals could be disciplined if they continued to neglect to sign the forms.
Speaking to TDs and senators at the Oireachtas Committee on Health, Mr O’Brien said: “There is a significant problem with delayed signing of forms following the completion of treatment by some consultants in some hospitals.
“Unfortunately, that adds up to a very significant sum of aged debtors if they haven’t been signed, approaching €60m.”
Last weekend, talks between health service management and specialists focused on obligating consultants to sign treatment forms within a defined period. Talks are continuing with the Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association.
Mr O’Brien said: “We will be moving to publish in an open and transparent way the lists of those specialists who persist in failing to sign these forms. The reality is if we had that €60m in cash, the backdrop for the health service would be different.”
He also said that “in due course we will move into the disciplinary phase if we need to do so”.
The issue was raised by Labour TD Ciara Conway who also questioned the extent of efficiencies in the health service. She said her grandfather had spent time in a public hospital and then had a serious operation in a private hospital. He is still waiting for the bill from the public hospital.
“On the day that he was discharged from the private hospital, he was handed his bill. I think he’s still waiting for his bill from the public hospital. That’s just not good enough because he knows that the insurance money is there, he has paid into it all his life and he wants it to be returned to the State, but somebody’s not doing their job.”
