'Abhorrent' that consultants paid thousands of euros per hour, says HSE boss

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster: 'I think it was abhorrent that somebody’s contract, which may have been legally correct, was interpreted to that level.' Picture: Arthur Ellis

The head of the HSE has said it is “abhorrent” that hospital consultants have been paid thousands of euro an hour for treating patients during antisocial hours.

Bernard Gloster faced questioning from the Public Accounts Committee regarding the HSE’s highest earner in 2023 — an unnamed consultant who received almost €1m in pay for the year, including roughly €700,000 for call-outs outside normal working hours.