Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the changes that will be brought about in the context of the new contract for hospital consultants; the timeframe for increasing the number of consultants and moving from a consultant led to a consultant delivered service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22154/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The new contract for medical consultants provides for the following contract types:Type A: Will work exclusively for the public hospital and will be remunerated solely by way of salary. Type B: Will work exclusively for the public hospital but may engage in limited private practice on the public hospital campus (including in a co-located hospital) up to a maximum of 20% of total clinical throughput. Type C: To be created only in exceptional circumstances where there is a demonstrable benefit to the public health system. Such a consultant will be entitled to treat private patients outside the public hospital campus.

In addition, as a special transitional arrangement, a Type B contract will be available to existing Category II Consultants and Category I Consultants in Emergency Medicine. This will permit them to engage in private practice in facilities operated by the employer or in co-located private hospitals on the public hospital campus. Consultants holding this type of contract may also engage in private practice in locations outside the public hospital campus subject to them signing up to all the other terms and conditions of the new contract.

Other key features of the agreement include:

The working week will be 37 hours;

An extended working day (8am – 8pm), Monday to Friday;

Consultants may be required to work up to 5 hours structured overtime on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays to expand access for patients/clients to consultant provided services;

The appointment of Clinical Directors to manage clinical services, budgets and lead the development of services for patients;

Consultants will work in teams to deliver consultant-provided rather than consultant-led services to patients.

Access to outpatient diagnostic services will be based solely on medical need.

These arrangements will result in the increased availability of senior clinical decision makers to treat and discharge patients as part of the transition to a consultant-delivered service from the present consultant-led service.

The target date for the implementation of the new contractual arrangements is 1 September 2008.

In April 2008 the HSE recommenced the recruitment process for new consultants in a range of specialties. In excess of 120 posts were advertised with the prior agreement of both the IHCA and IMO.

My Department is engaged in discussions with the HSE in relation to the development of a plan for the recruitment of several hundred new medical consultants over the medium term, and for a reduction in the number of non-consultant hospital doctors employed in the public health system, as part of the transition to a consultant-delivered service.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to receive the report on the locum pathologist (details supplied) who worked in Cork University Hospital and University College Hospital Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22162/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The HSE is currently finalising a review of the work of the named consultant pathologist who was employed on a temporary contract at Cork University Hospital for seven weeks in 2007. It will be published shortly.

HIQA is undertaking an investigation into the provision of care by the HSE to a patient which includes a review of pathology services at University College Hospital Galway involving the work of the same pathologist.

It is anticipated that a final draft of the HIQA review on Galway will be submitted later this month to the HIQA Board for approval for early publication.