Sir, – In Martin Wall’s article on the HSE’s Annual Report for 2025, it was stated that a doctor received €910,000 for work carried out in 2025 (“One consultant earner over €900,000 from HSE last year,” July 16th).
A key point to consider is that such higher individual earning figures always relate to exceptional levels of additional work carried out by consultants – extended hours, weekend and overnight on-call and covering vacant posts in an understaffed system – not standard salaries.
Also not referenced from the Comptroller and Auditor General’s comments attached in the HSE’s report was that a payment of €324,000 to this individual related to additional work carried out in 2023 and 2024.
The real issue for the HSE is not excessive pay but a persistent failure to recruit sufficient numbers of consultants to meet demand and requiring a small cohort, often in smaller rural hospitals (Model 3s), to sustain critical patient services through extensive and excessive workloads in a highly pressurised environment. This is leading to significant levels of stress and burnout.
READ MORE
Addressing these specialist workforce deficits should be the key concern for health service management in any action plan to address this issue.
Despite recent improvements, Irish consultant staffing levels remain a third below the European average and, without addressing this core issue, heroic levels of excess overtime and on-call will persist.
The IHCA will continue to advocate for a resilient health system with safe staffing levels and workloads for the good of patients and staff alike. – Yours, etc,
PROF GABRIELLE COLLERAN,
President,
Irish Hospital Consultants Association,
Dublin.
