Mr. Tony O'Brien:

I suspect the reasons are variable among the different categories of consultant. One reason could be a lack of understanding of the negotiated agreement, while another may be that for them individually, signing the forms triggers a process which will have income flowing to them and the hospital. They may be insufficiently motivated in that direction or there may be timing considerations for them, which could relate to a number of extraneous factors. I do not believe there is any badness or malice involved. I believe it is question of understanding the importance to the public service of having the benefit of that positive cashflow. In some instances, it probably relates to the wide range of demands on their time and seeking to motivate them to give sufficient priority to this issue, as opposed to the other aspects of their work which they may believe are more important.