In the Rotunda, there are consultants on public-only contracts receiving payments for delivering babies while covering for their private colleagues. On Tuesday, I told the Taoiseach that this was happening at Cork University Maternity Hospital, CUMH, too. The Taoiseach admitted that he did not know anything about this. Today, it has been reported in the Irish Independent that a long-standing professional fee arrangement had been in place among consultants in CUMH. The spokeswoman for the HSE said, "This a private professional arrangement between some consultants in which Cork University Maternity Hospital plays no part". While it is no doubt true that hospital management plays no part in administering the payments, it organises the rosters that facilitate this practice. It appears from reports today that rosters are being changed and this practice has been stopped in Cork this week. However, no such confirmation has been forthcoming from the Rotunda. We also know that there are major issues at University Hospital Galway where public consultants are being asked by management to do lab work for a private hospital. While some are refusing to do this, this is nonetheless leading to huge delays, including in tests for life-threatening conditions such as cancer. As a result, lab work is being outsourced for both public and private patients to commercially run labs. This is at enormous expense to the public purse. This is not just about consultants and public-only contracts getting extra payments for private work or billing insurers for work for private patients. It is also having a real and negative impact on the care of public patients. These are patients whose lab work is being delayed while private work is done. These are patients whose health and lives are being put at risk. The whole point of the public-only contract is to improve our health system and level up care for public patients so that they are receiving the same continuity and quality of care as private patients. Instead, at the Rotunda and the CUMH, rostering gaps were being filled for private consultants. This appears to be stopping at CUMH, but what about the Rotunda? Has the Rotunda been instructed to stop this practice? Has University Hospital Galway been told to stop asking public consultants to do lab work for private hospitals? What is the Tánaiste doing to ensure that the public-only contract is being enforced around the country?

Sentiment score: -0.07

There are patients waiting on test results who want answers in relation to lab work at University Hospital Galway. They want to know what is being done in terms of their test results, which they need a quick turnaround on. Their health and lives depend on a quick turnaround. They want answers as to what the Government is doing on that. The Tánaiste has not addressed that at all. He may say what the Government is doing about that. It is welcome that the HSE is following up on this, but when are people going to know that these additional payments that are in breach of the public-only contract have stopped? We are seeing more and more things emerging about breaches of the public-only contract. What is the Government doing to ensure that the public-only contract is being enforced? Is it waiting for a drip feed of things to emerge around the country? Is it being proactive in ensuring that the taxpayer and public are getting the service that they are paying for and deserve?

Sentiment score: 0.10

I asked about breaches.

Sentiment score: 0.00