Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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363. To ask the Minister for Health whether it is intended to officially recognise centres for ambulatory surgery which are carrying out work on contract for the HSE on, for example, patients who need hand surgery, so that the anaesthetic consultants in them do not face large increases in insurance premiums that would make such work prohibitively expensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45962/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Clarification on this question was sought from the Deputy by my officials. The Deputy revised the wording of the question, as follows:

To ask the Minister for Health whether it is intended to extend the Clinical Indemnity Caps Scheme to centres for ambulatory surgery which are carrying out work on contract for the HSE on, for example, patients who need hand surgery, so that the anaesthetic consultants in them do not face large increases in insurance premiums that would make such work prohibitively expensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Response:

The Caps scheme is a non-statutory scheme that was established in 2004 on foot of a Government decision. The current scheme operates on the basis that the State’s Clinical Indemnity Scheme would cover claims over a certain cap (amount) against private consultants arising from adverse clinical events occurring after 1st February 2004 for work undertakenin private hospitals.

I do not have any current plans to extend the Clinical Indemnity Caps Scheme, referred to by the Deputy, beyond the existing arrangements. However, my Department will continue to keep the matter under review.