Rotunda Hospital Allows Public-Only Consultants Treat Private Patients, Minister Unhappy

The Rotunda Hospital is allowing consultants on public-only contracts to treat private patients for pregnancy-related care, a practice that has led to a stand-off with the HSE and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

Prof Sean Daly, the master of the Rotunda, informed the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday that this is permitted because there is no private option for women in the State's maternity system. He acknowledged that Minister Carroll MacNeill was «not happy» about the situation, having been informed last year.

Committee chair Pádraig Rice stated this move is «completely against stated policy» for the public-only contract, which was a significant, long-negotiated change. A spokeswoman for Minister Carroll MacNeill confirmed the Minister raised her concerns recently, reiterating that the Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC) prohibits private practice in public hospitals. The Department has also written to the HSE to affirm this position, emphasizing the contract's objective to ensure equitable access to high-quality maternity care.

Consultants on POCCs, introduced in 2023, commit to only public work in public hospitals, with basic pay from €217,325 to €261,051. Any private work must occur outside rostered hours and public facilities. The HSE Dublin and North East is engaging with the Rotunda on this issue. Rice has requested further details from Carroll MacNeill on actions to stop the practice.