Rotunda Hospital Master Defies Sláintecare Policy on Private Practice
Rotunda Hospital Master Prof. Sean Daly admitted allowing consultants to conduct private work in the publicly funded hospital, defying Ireland's Sláintecare policy. This practice, despite consultants being paid by the State for public-only work, is justified by Daly as ensuring «safety and choice» for women, though it involves significant private fees. The HSE is in ongoing discussions with the hospital regarding this defiance of public health policy.
Prof. Sean Daly, Master of Dublin's Rotunda Hospital, openly defied the State's Sláintecare policy last week at an Oireachtas health committee hearing. He admitted that the hospital and its board are deliberately allowing consultants, who are contracted for public-only work, to use the hospital for private practice. The Rotunda receives €100 million annually in State funding, and these consultants are paid approximately €250,000 a year by the State, explicitly for public work in public hospitals.
This defiance undermines Sláintecare's core principle of removing private practice from public health facilities. Stand-alone private maternity care in Ireland is not financially viable, as demonstrated by the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital in 2014 due to declining birth rates. Private birth services can only be profitable by utilizing public hospital facilities and State-paid consultants, whose private work is passively subsidized by taxpayers.
Consultants who switched to public-only contracts in 2023 were required to cease treating private patients in public hospitals by early 2024. However, the Rotunda's website still promotes private maternity services, boasting about access to the hospital's state-of-the-art facilities and additional services for private patients. Daly justified this by claiming it ensures «safety for women and women’s choice», despite the fees ranging from €3,200 to €4,500 for chosen consultants. Critics, like former Coombe master Chris Fitzpatrick, argue this implies complex care is only available to those who can pay up to €5,000.
The HSE's manager for the Rotunda's area, Mellany McLoone, stated that discussions are ongoing regarding this issue. The situation highlights a conflict where a small group continues to use public facilities for commercial gain, challenging the State's health policy.