Following on from the Government announcement in respect of an agreement between Government and the Private Hospitals Association we have received a number of queries from members in this regard. 

While we had no role in these discussions it is important to note that the IMO position in discussions with the Department of Health and the HSE was, and remains, that the unique and discriminatory pay disparity affecting all Post 2012 Consultants be immediately addressed and that no further pay discrimination be put in place.   

COVID-19 has been determined to be a notifiable disease as per the Infectious Disease Regulations. As such, any treatment related to COVID-19 will be provided on a no fee basis to patients.  

There are several distinct areas arising that we would bring to your attention. 

• Consultants who work exclusively in the private setting will be offered temporary Type A Contracts (post October 2012) for a period three months which may be extended to five months. 
• Those temporary contracts will be remunerated on the same terms as those available to any other ‘new entrant’ Consultant on a Type A Contract recruited after 1^st October 2012. 
• The applicable nine point salary scale runs from €141,026 to €195,653; 
• The point at which the ‘private only’ consultants enter the scale will be subject to the normal criteria applicable to new entrants into the public health system, i.e. hospitals have derogation to appoint up to point six of the scale (€172,801); 
• Consultants on the temporary contract may be required to work in public hospitals 
• For the duration of the contract the payroll will be assigned to the nearest public hospital. 
• Consultants who work exclusively in the private system will continue to treat their existing patients for the current episode of care however upon cessation of the current episode of care such patients will be treated as public patients and no fees will apply ( for example readmittance of that patient).   
• As holders of Temporary Type A Contracts, the Clinical Indemnity Scheme will apply for the duration of their contract. 
• There will be no change to the current contractual arrangements for Type B and Type C Consultants working in the public hospital system. 
• Consultants who currently hold Type B and Type C Contracts may continue to care for their current insured patients privately within their public hospital, provided that the care delivered is not related to COVID-19. 
• Consultants who hold Type B or Type C Contracts can continue to treat their existing patients in a private hospital for the current episode of care, however upon cessation of the current episode of care such patients will be treated as public patients and no fees will apply ( for example readmittance of that patient). 
• Upon admission to a public hospital, patients who hold private health insurance can opt to be treated privately, and fees can be charged for this care as has been the case to date. 
• Should a patient who has opted to be treated privately be diagnosed with COVID-19, their treatment will default to public treatment and no fee may be charged from the date of the diagnosis. 

In our engagement with the Department of Health and the HSE, the IMO sought that holders of Type B and Type C Contracts be given the opportunity should they so wish and given their own circumstances, to temporarily transfer to Type A Contracts for the same three to five month period. We have asked that the Department revert to us in this matter.   

If you have any queries in this regard, please contact the IMO on (01) 6767273, or by email at memberadvisoryunit@imo.ie