Cowen: Talks necessary with hospital consultants

The Minister for Finance said today that taxpayers are entitled to expect round-table talks from hospital consultants.

Brian Cowen was answering questions about problems modernising the health service.

Under Government plans to co-locate public and private hospital facilities, consultants will not be reimbursed for treating private patients in public hospitals.

Mr Cowen indicated that hospital consultants are holding up reform as contract talks between them and the Government have been on hold for over a year because of a row over insurance cover for doctors.

Mr Cowen said: "We still have the situation here where we haven’t opened negotiations with the consultants on the renegotiation of contracts.

"Based on the amount of money we're providing, the taxpayers of this country are entitled to get people to sit around the table and deal with this issue, where we don't just have a consultant-led service but that we can say to people that we can have a consultant-provided service for all patients through our hospital system."