Public hospital groups and voluntary hospitals spent at least €730,000 on the services of public relation companies last year, it has emerged.

This is in addition to the inhouse public relations staff employed by most hospital groups and the press and communications division of the Health Service Executive.

The RCSI Hospitals Group paid €96,684 to Q4 PR in 2015, while one of its constituent hospitals, Beaumont Hospital, spent €100,945 on services provided by Drury Porter Novelli, according to figures obtained under freedom of information by the Medical Independent.

It says the HSE national communications division employs 29 staff, headed by a national director on a salary of over €136,000 a year. The annual cost of salaries in the division is a minimum of €1.7 million, using the lowest points in salary scales, it says.

The Rotunda Hospital, also in the RCSI Hospitals Group, spent €28,102 on services from Strand Communications in 2015.

The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group paid €18,810 to PR 360 and Q4 PR in 2015. One of its hospitals, Tallaght Hospital, paid an average of €7,700 per month to Drury Porter Novelli in 2015, which equates to €92,400.

The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital paid €25,552 to FTI Consulting in 2015.

The spend of the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) was €21,848, to PSG Communications for the last three months of 2015.

Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, said Setanta Communications was paid €11,070 for January-June 2015 for out-of-ours services.

Fees due to Fleishman Hillard for July-December 2015 were €11,070.

Temple Street Children’s University Hospital paid €16,583 in 2015 to Q4 PR.

Expenditure by the Children’s Hospital Group with Q4 PR in 2015 was €70,110.

The Saolta University Health Care Group paid €134,316 to Setanta Communications in 2015.