Rotunda must clarify public-only consultant stance - dept

The Department of Health has requested further explanation from the Rotunda Hospital concerning its alignment with government policy on Public Only Consultant Contracts (POCC). Minister for Health Jennifer O'Carroll MacNeill will not meet with the hospital's board until this clarification is provided. Ireland's busiest maternity hospital, the Rotunda, risks funding cuts if it fails to reverse its decision allowing consultants on public-only contracts to continue their private work at the facility.

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I assumed that in telling him that, that he, you know, heard what I said.

Minister O'Carroll MacNeill stated that the permission for consultants on public-only contracts to conduct private work at the maternity hospital must be rescinded. She noted that the hospital has 32 consultants, with 14 on POCCs. The Minister recalled informing the Master of the Rotunda, Professor Seán Daly, a year prior during a private meeting that public-only consultants engaging in private work was "not on," expressing an assumption that her directive would be heeded.

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It is essential that this response directly addresses the matters raised and clearly demonstrates alignment with Government policy - which provides for the removal of private practice from public settings.

The Department of Health informed RTÉ's This Week that Secretary General Derek Tierney responded to the Rotunda's letter seeking a meeting with the Minister. Mr. Tierney acknowledged the hospital's intention to reply to HSE correspondence on the matter by Monday. The department emphasized the necessity for this response to directly address the issues raised and clearly demonstrate alignment with government policy, which mandates the removal of private practice from public settings.

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the rationale and impact of the decision, made in September 2024, and to seek a way forward to resolve the issue for the common good of all patients

Any further explanation from the board must confirm how the hospital will conform its arrangements with government policy, its contractual obligations under the 2026 Service Level Agreement, and compliance with POCC terms. The department stated that once the HSE receives the response and has clear assurance of alignment with government policy, the minister would be willing to engage further on the Rotunda's future development and services. The Rotunda's board expressed its desire to explain the rationale and impact of its September 2024 decision and seek a way forward for the common good of all patients, stating its deliberations were informed by current Department of Health and HSE direction. The board's overriding priority, it added, is ensuring every patient receives the best possible care, irrespective of their service user status.

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in all of its deliberations, the Board's overriding priority is to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care, regardless of whether they are a public or private service user