Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. O'Sullivan referred to the anomaly scans and the extra people employed in that area. I wish to flag with him that I have been made aware that medical consultants in the smaller units are being advised they will not be given an opportunity to look at the scans before they are sent to the central unit for review. I am talking about the smaller maternity units around the country. The consultants are expressing concern that although their names are on top of the charts, they will not have the opportunity to review the scans. They are now asking that their names be removed from the charts. Even though the patients are assigned to the consultants, the consultants are not being given the opportunity to review the scans before they go to the central unit. Will that issue be dealt with? The delegates might not be aware of it but it is an issue in the smaller maternity units around the country that are joined to bigger maternity units that are in charge of rolling out the system for the anomaly scans. The consultants want to be involved but they are being excluded from the process, yet their names are on top of the patients' charts.

My second issue, concerning the State Claims Agency and claims, follows on from the issue raised by Deputy Alan Kelly. I understand that, without legislation, the State Claims Agency could reach a solution in regard to some claims but still step into the shoes of the claimant and go after the company that represents the laboratory. Might that be addressed? Deputy Kelly raised a very valid issue in this regard. I am not clear that it requires a change to legislation as there may be a process available already.

The third issue I want to raise concerns consultant recruitment. It is a significant issue concerning planning. In the reply to a question I tabled on the number of consultants in place, the number of vacancies and the need for planning, I was advised that approximately 59 consultants are expected to retire over the next 12 months. That is an underestimate. I am saying that because, if there are 2,930 consultants and the average consultant stays in the system for around 20 years, and even if there is a 5% reduction every year, 146 will retire naturally every year. I am wondering about the planning process. It is very difficult to get consultants and we are not advertising many positions until they become vacant. I have raised this consistently over the past three to four years in respect of planning. The HSE's estimate that 59 will retire is an underestimate, and we are not on top of this issue. For a recent obstetrics and gynaecology position advertised in Portiuncula Hospital, there was no applicant. Therefore, we really need to plan. We are not doing enough. The estimate of 59 is wrong. An average of 150 will retire every year. We need to fast-track the process to address this because services will fall down unless we are able to plan.

The other issue regarding consultant contracts concerns the terms being offered. We are now competing with all the other jurisdictions not only in regard to what we are offering, but also in regard to a tax system. In the United Kingdom, for instance, one can earn up to £45,000 before being taxed at the higher rate. In Ireland, the figure is between €34,000 and €35,000. Therefore, one is competing with other jurisdictions on different issues. We need to be conscious of that aspect.

The only other issue I want to raise concerns the GP contract negotiations and whether we have now started the process in regard to them. Have we set targets for making some progress on this matter? In fairness to GPs, they are now stepping into the breach and providing considerable backup support in regard to the cervical screening process. We need them on board. I am wondering how fast we can expedite this issue.