Consultants’ negligence insurance rates jump 33%

Medical negligence claims against consultants rose by one-third in 2012 compared to the previous year, prompting a significant rise in insurance costs, according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association.

The association has expressed grave concern at premium rises introduced by the Medical Protection Society, the UK-based insurer which provides professional indemnity for most Irish consultants, on foot of the surge in claims. The increases range from 25 per cent for consultants in low and medium risk areas to 28 per cent in high, "upper high" and "super high" risk categories and 33 per cent for obstetricians.

The scale of the increases may make indemnity cover unaffordable for some consultant specialities, the IHCA warned in its annual report presented to members at the weekend. Following talks with the MPS, it said both groups would seek to identify ways to stop the increase in subscription rates as well as pursuing reductions in the "disproportionately high" costs of medical negligence claims in Ireland.

The cost of processing most personal injury cases, especially in relation to legal fees, has been significantly reduced in recent years by transferring the handling of claims from the courts to the Injuries Claims Board Ireland. However, this body does not deal with medical negligence cases.

The IHCA’s annual conference also heard that 70 consultants have applied to the HSE for a change of contract; most applications involved changes which would allow the person concerned to carry out more private work. About one-quarter of the applications were approved but 10 per cent were deemed ineligible.

The association says it is unacceptable that many applications are waiting for long periods, some for more than a year, for a decision. Various contracts are in force for consultants, including type A, which offers a higher salary but restricts work to the public system, and type B, which allows limited private practice on-site in addition to work in public hospitals.

Notwithstanding the difficulties in recruiting consultants, the association recorded a small increase in membership last year, to 2,424.