Medical organisations have proposed that the Government should in future appoint new part-time hospital consultants who would also be permitted to treat fee-paying patients in off-site private hospitals.
The proposal envisages that the new consultants with off-site private practice rights would work about 24 to 27 hours per week (eight or nine clinical sessions) in public hospitals.
The proposal for the appointment of new consultants on "a maximum part-time basis" was discussed yesterday at the latest round of talks on a revised contract for senior doctors.
The Government and the Health Service Executive (HSE) have insisted that no new additional consultants would be appointed with rights to carry out private practice in off-site private hospitals.
Health service management has proposed that in future consultants would have to work a 39-hour week virtually exclusively in the public sector.
However, one form of contract proposed by management would permit senior doctors to treat fee-paying patients in the planned co-located private facilities to be developed on the grounds of several public hospitals.
Medical organisations suggested yesterday that a further type of agreement would be required to encourage consultants who currently have off-site private practice rights to opt for the new contract.
The new contract would also stipulate the senior doctors would have to work as part of teams and over an extended working day.
