THE GOVERNMENT is to cut the pay rate for new academic medical consultants, the highest paid doctors on the State’s payroll.
Under a measure confirmed by the Department of Health last night, the rate for newly appointed professors with a public patient-only contract, who earn a starting salary of €208,000, will be brought down below the pay cap of €200,000.
The move in relation to academic consultants is in addition to the 30 per cent pay reduction announced yesterday for doctors appointed to any of the existing categories of non-academic consultant positions in the health service.
Separately, it has emerged that the Government has in effect dropped plans for an entry-level consultant grade.
The department said this had been overtaken by the decision to cut the pay rates for newly appointed consultants.
The move to cut the pay rates forms part of a two-pronged package of reforms in relation to hospital consultants.
Health service management also agreed a package of measures with medical representative bodies, following weekend talks, on greater flexibilities and work practice changes for serving consultants. Minister for Health James Reilly has argued that these measures could generate up to €200 million in savings next year.
The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association and the Irish Medical Organisation did not support the lower pay scales for entrants being introduced unilaterally by the Government.
They have expressed concern the rates would act as a disincentive to doctors to seek consultant posts in Ireland. This has been rejected by the Minister.
Under the work practice deal agreed at the Labour Relations Commission over the weekend, some groups of consultants will be rostered to work on any five out of seven days, including weekends.
For the first time senior doctors in some specialties such as emergency medicine, neonatology, intensive care and obstetrics will be rostered to allow for the provision of an around-the-clock consultant service.
The deal will give greater powers to clinical directors to arrange rosters, work schedules and holiday arrangements to maximise patient throughput.
They will be able to redeploy consultants to other hospitals.
Consultants will have to facilitate the collection of income from health insurance companies in a timely fashion and accept the current HSE system for calculating private practice rates.
Consultants will no longer receive an individual €3,000 grant for continuing medical education. Instead the HSE will provide funding to the postgraduate training bodies to provide education supports to consultants.
However, there was no agreement at the talks on management plans to reduce rest days or on reforms to community and mental health services.
These will be referred to the Labour Court for a binding recommendation under the provisions of the Croke Park agreement.
