Consultants to receive up to €252k in new deal

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly: The contract is regarded as a critical element in the delivery of universal healthcare. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

A new public-only consultant contract to be approved by Cabinet on Wednesday will see senior doctors paid between €209,915 and €252,150 a year and have them work Saturdays for the first time.

The Irish Examiner can reveal that negotiations between the Government and representatives of consultant doctors have successfully concluded and the Cabinet will give its consent to proceed with the deal.

• The salary on offer to those doctors who sign up will range from €209,915 to €252,150;
• The deal will also fund medical education for doctors and include an innovation fund of €20,000;
• The new contract will be offered to all new entrants and existing contract holders can choose to move across;
• The new contract will result in a significant extension to the core working hours that consultants can be asked to work;
• It is understood that doctors on this contract will be expected to work a 37-hour week and can be asked to work between 8am and 10pm, Mondays to Fridays, and also on Saturdays;
• It will be the first time consultants will be rostered on Saturdays as part of the normal working week;
• Consultants will not be allowed to treat private patients in public hospitals.

There is considerable evidence to support the positive impact on patient outcomes by having senior clinical decision-makers on site outside of office hours, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to tell his Cabinet colleagues on Wednesday.

Talks between the Government and doctors were brought to a conclusion by the independent chair, Tom Mallon, following years of protracted negotiations.

The representative bodies for consultant doctors will now consider the final proposals. 

The condition to remove private practice from the public system is a core recommendation of the Sláintecare reform programme for the health service. 

This is to ensure that patients are treated on the basis of clinical need as opposed to the ability to pay.

Under the terms of the deal, and in line with the principles of Sláintecare, consultants will be able to treat private patients and work off-site in their own time.

This right will be subject to receiving permission from their employer, the primacy of their public contract, and meeting their commitments under it.

Mr Donnelly will state that the contract is regarded as a critical element in the delivery of universal healthcare and that the Government is focused on increasing consultant recruitment and addressing existing retention issues. 

It will also offer unprecedented flexibility to the health service, Mr Donnelly will say.