Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The move from 4,000 non-consultant hospital doctors to 4,000 consultants should be cost-neutral. This has been the subject of discussion for many years. It is not a question of keeping the 4,000 non-consultants and having 4,000 consultants as well. The Health Service Executive will receive an additional €1.1 billion during 2008.

There are transitional arrangements for the incumbents agreed over a three year period. The 80-20 mix will no longer be designated by beds but rather by volume so a consultant will be entitled to see one fee-paying patient in a public hospital for every four public patients he or she sees. That is very different from the situation in many hospitals today.

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