HSE boss puts current cost of contract loophole at €30m

The Head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) says he does not know if we will ever have an accurate figure on the loss of income for public hospitals from the new consultants' contract.

Professor Brendan Drumm told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee earlier this year that the HSE would be down around €50m in 2009 because of a loophole in the agreement.

It is because insurance companies cannot be billed for the treatment of patients admitted to hospital under doctors who have new public-only contracts, even if the patients they admit have private health insurance.

HSE officials estimate the figure now stands at €30m, but Prof. Drumm told the Public Accounts Committee today that an accurate figure is simply too hard to calculate.

Meanwhile, the HSE has confirmed that 85 consultants have now been written to about exceeding the ratio of public to private patients.

A new ratio has been introduced, as part of the newly negotiated consultants' contract.

The Public Accounts Committee heard today that financial sanctions will be imposed on those who do not heed the warning.

Under questioning, Professor Drumm admitted that "hundreds" of consultants will be written to about this, in the coming months.

"It is going to be, we believe, hundreds and not thousands" he answered, admitting that this was a large number .