CONSULTANT DELAY BLOCKS HALF A MILLION EURO IN PORTIUNCULA

Date Published: 30-Sep-2011

A consultant at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe has not signed off on more than €500k worth of private insurance claims.

The Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee was told that €195m is due to the HSE from private health insurers.

€18m is owed to Galway hospitals from private health insurers, €6m of which is more than a year outstanding.

The Public Accounts Committee heard that a large portion of the sum is due to the delay by consultants to sign off on the necessary paperwork.

The committee also heard yesterday that 12 hospital consultants who are treating too many private patients are in breach of their contracts.

According to today’s Irish Times, the consultants will have to pay a penalty of almost €100k.