Big progress since new consultant contract started - Govt

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has defended the Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC) following criticism from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). The association's President, Professor Gabrielle Colleran, claimed that consultants are being pressured to work weekends without proper staffing, leading to longer waiting lists and inadequate patient care.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund reports that one million people are currently waiting for hospital appointments, with over 250,000 awaiting their first appointment in primary and community health care.

Colleran said she provides emergency care for four hospitals on Saturdays but does not handle outpatient care. She emphasized that patients expecting treatment on Saturdays should receive full services, including blood tests and echocardiograms, which are not currently available. Colleran criticized the rushed implementation of the POCC, driven by political motives, and expressed concerns about the growth of waiting lists due to the increased workload of consultants.

MacNeill, however, highlighted significant progress since the POCC's introduction, including improved patient safety through earlier discharges and reduced trolley numbers. She confirmed that health unions agreed to a five-day workweek alongside the POCC. HSE Chief Executive Anne O'Connor acknowledged the rising number of patients but emphasized that the system has triage mechanisms in place to prioritize and review cases. She noted that waiting lists can sometimes be a necessary measure for managing patient care.

MacNeill also pointed out that the executive is currently 4% over budget, with the healthcare system spending a substantial amount in recent years without adequate returns.