One of the key advisers to Health Service Executive chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm has left the HSE to take up a post in the private sector.
Dr Sean McGuire, a GP recruited to advise Prof Drumm on developing primary care services, has taken a job with Touchstone, a private company which is working on a plan to establish 60 primary care centres over the next five years.
Dr McGuire's departure is a blow to the HSE as it attempts to establish 100 primary care teams a year over the next number of years.
Primary care centres are one-stop shops for patients who wish to access a GP, a public health nurse or other key services under one roof.
Touchstone has already established one such centre in Mulhuddart, Dublin, is seeking planning permission to build centres on seven other sites, has identified sites for 23 others and is at various stages of acquiring these sites.
Dr McGuire entered discussions with Touchstone last year to purchase private GP suites. However, he denied at the time that there was any conflict of interest between this and his then position with the HSE.
Asked about this yesterday, a statement was issued on his behalf through Touchstone. It said: "Sean McGuire was working as a consultant for the HSE on a part-time basis. While working with the HSE he continued to work as a practising GP in Carlow. His GP practice, along with another two practices comprising eight GPs, entered into discussions with Touchstone in 2006 to purchase GP suites.
"At no time did Dr McGuire do any work for Touchstone."
It added that as the HSE's primary care programme had moved from planning to implementation sooner than anticipated "the need for the strategic thinking provided by Dr Sean McGuire [ primary care adviser] has ended".
The HSE, in a statement last Friday, said Dr McGuire had completed his assignment. It said 87 primary care teams were in development and a further 126 would be announced shortly. It said Dr McGuire was returning to general practice and primary care.
Touchstone said Dr McGuire, who set up one of the first GP co-ops in the State, had joined its board and would work with the company full-time as director with responsibility for GP client relationships.
He was appointed to Prof Drumm's so-called kitchen cabinet of five following a tender process.
Data released under the Freedom of Information Act last year showed he commanded a fee of €202,500 for working 135 days a year and was also entitled to a daily overtime rate after that of €1,500 for an additional 27 days.