CONCERNS ABOUT the mix of public and private work being carried out by radiologists at Tallaght hospital have been raised at board level, it has emerged.
One board member, who declined to be identified, said he had raised the issue with the former chief executive Michael Lyons some years ago. He expressed the view that the hospital was “wobbly” on the issue.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has pointed out that Tallaght has just seven consultant radiologists, which it says is far fewer than any of the other teaching hospitals. Its assistant general secretary, Donal Duffy, said a radiologist should report about 11,000 films a year, which would mean Tallaght, for its workload, would need 18 radiologists.
However, the radiologists at Tallaght have active private practices and are listed as providing services at private facilities such as the Beacon Hospital, the Charlemont Clinic and the Northwood Clinic.
Tallaght hospital has not responded to requests to provide information about the public/private mix of work in the department.
Almost 58,000 X-rays have gone unreported by consultant radiologists at the hospital over a four-year period. The VHI said yesterday it was not aware of any inappropriate billing in relation to X-rays which had not been reported at the hospital.
An emergency meeting of the hospital board is to be held on Monday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive management board on Thursday called to discuss the hospital’s response to the current crisis.
A number of board members contacted by The Irish Times yesterday declined to comment on the situation, saying they had been told by hospital management not to do so.
One said the hospital was trying to assemble accurate and comprehensive information on unreported X-rays and GP referral letters before making a public statement.
The Tallaght hospital board is chaired by Lyndon MacCann, a senior counsel with an extensive commercial practice, and includes the chief executive-designate Prof Kevin Conlon.
Membership includes six representatives each of the former hospitals which were merged to create the hospital – the Adelaide, Meath and National Children’s hospitals.
Among those nominated by the Adelaide are former Church of Ireland Archdeacon Gordon Linney, former Fine Gael MEP and IFA leader Alan Gillis, the Ven David Pierpoint, Joan Bruton and Dr Fergus O’Ferrall.
Board members also include a number of leading medical specialists, including cardiologists Prof Ian Graham and Dr David Moore; public health specialist Prof Joe Barry; ear, nose and throat specialist Dr John Barragry; radiologist Dr Gerry Hurley, and cancer specialist Prof Colm Ó Moráin.
Prof Stephen Lane, a respiratory specialist at Tallaght and Prof Dermot Kelleher, the head of TCD’s medical school, are also members.
The remaining members are Gillian Rufli, Róisín Boland, Mairéad Shields, Cyril Kelly, Estelle Feldman, Dr David Coghlan and former Fianna Fáil councillor Trevor Matthews.
