Rotunda Hospital Consultants on Sláintecare Contracts Engage in Private Practice

Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital faces controversy as consultants on new public-only Sláintecare contracts are engaged in private practice, with approval from Master Prof Sean Daly and the hospital board. The HSE, Department of Health, and Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill insist this must cease.

The implementation of Sláintecare, aiming for a single-tier public system, has met resistance. Voluntary hospitals like the Rotunda value their independent governance, often viewing the HSE and department with suspicion, partly due to chronic underfunding of maternity services. The outcome of this dispute could influence the future of the Rotunda and other voluntary hospitals, as well as the single-tier public hospital system.

Despite declining birth rates and private maternity care, a significant capacity problem persists. Increased clinical complexity due to older mothers and more medical conditions means insufficient public consultant hours. The loss of income from private healthcare insurance companies, which funds services, further complicates matters.

Better planning could have prevented this conflict. A five-year transition for maternity services, rather than three, would have been more effective. The Rotunda, HSE, and department must collaborate. A binding agreement for full Sláintecare implementation, with a two-year extension and resources, could serve as a model for all 19 public maternity units. Consultants on public-only contracts must adhere to terms, bringing additional clinical commitments into the public system. The future of voluntary hospitals and equitable, high-quality public maternity care is at stake.