Balancing the books - Self-interest becomes dishonesty

Once upon a time, when far more people went to pubs than do now, there was a pretty common character disliked and avoided because he invariably and knowingly left when it was his turn to buy a round of drinks.

In the mores of that time he offended etiquette and tradition. He shamelessly dodged his responsibilities.

Unfortunately we seem well along the road to adopting the round dodger’s tactics in trying to avoid unavoidable and necessary cuts in public expenditure. Yesterday’s announcement — among a range of positive developments — that a new grade of hospital consultant will be established and paid something around 30% less than incumbents confirms that. Today consultants’ salaries range from €147,000 to about €200,000. In future consultants will be employed on a salary scale between €116,000 and €121,000. This is a spectacular and overdue change but it reeks of protecting privilege and skinning those not at the negotiating table. By all means cut these table-topping salaries but it would have been far more equitable if today’s consultants faced pay cuts rather than imposing the cost of recovery squarely on the shoulders of tomorrow’s doctors.