2,840 medical negligence claims may cost €1.159 billion – Burke

“Currently €1.18 million in medical negligence claims is covered by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) and the State pays the remainder . The Government must review this cut off point, to keep the consultants who cannot afford their insurance premiums in this country “, says Fine Gael Cork North Central Senator, Colm Burke .

“Consultants are leaving the country as they cannot afford to pay the massive insurance premiums required for them to work in private practise here in Ireland.

”The Government must review the indemnity ceiling set by the State.

“Currently the MPS pay the first €590,000 on medical negligence claims in the areas of obstetrics and orthopaedics, and the State pays the balance of any such claim. In all other areas of clinical practise, €1.18 million is covered by the MPs and the State covers the balance. The Government must take responsibility at an earlier stage so that insurance companies can reduce the unworkable premiums they currently have to charge.

“The Medical Protection Society is a not for profit organisation and needs to bring in a certain amount in premiums each year.

“This whole problem is exacerbated by the fact that the numbers of claims have gone up in recent times. 487 claims were paid out in 2014 by the State at a cost of €69.6 million. These figures are from the State Claims Agency alone, and don’t include the insurance company figures. At the end of 2014, there were 2,840 claims pending at an estimated total liability of €1.159 billion.

“I know a consultant whose premium for the year 2013/14 was €20,000, only to increase to €70,000 for the year 2014/15. This is unsustainable and it is no wonder so many consultants have given up their private practise here and moved abroad. We cannot afford to lose our skilled consultants at a time when our health service needs all hands on deck.”

ENDS

Note to editors

IHCA Submission on Clinical Indemnity to the Joint Committee on Health and Children

“… indemnity charges have increased to unaffordable levels for Consultants in private practice as highlighted by the following approximate annual charges:

·          €337,000 Obstetrics

·          €104,000 Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery

·          €97,500 Bariatric Surgery, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics (excluding spinal surgery), Plastic Surgery and Refractive Laser Surgery

·          €77,000 Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery (excluding bariatric), Ophthalmology (excluding Refractive Laser”