Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hope Professor Whelan does not mind me moving on because we are a little short of time and I have a number of other questions I wish to put to the witnesses. With the indulgence of the committee, I wish to refer quickly to the issue of consultants and their contracts, which is another example of the perceived conflict of interest. This goes back as far as 2011 when, according to an article by Susan Mitchell, the HSE at that time raised concerns about a possible mass breach of the consultant contract at St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin. St. Vincent's confirmed that 220 patients were treated by public hospital consultants in St. Vincent's Private Hospital, a move that was likely to raise questions from stand-alone private hospitals. I have also had correspondence from consultants on this issue who are very concerned about it.

Basically, they are saying that as both hospitals - the public and private hospitals - are under the same governance, it is leading to an obvious conflict of interest. They are suggesting that type B contract holders, who are entitled to work in the public hospital to which they have been appointed only, and who should be generating income for the public hospital by treating their private patients in the public hospital, are treating their private patients in the private hospital and depriving the public hospital of the income. Can Mr. Jermyn respond to that?