New grade for consultants aims to keep doctors here

THE INTRODUCTION of the Government’s proposed new entry-level consultant grade will encourage young doctors to remain in Ireland to gain valuable experience, the HSE and the Department of Health has said.

The grade will complement plans to organise hospitals into groups as well as other initiatives to meet EU rules on doctors’ working hours.

In a new paper outlining how the new grade would operate, management said the new post – to be known as consultant level 1 – would be aimed at doctors who have completed their higher specialist training. It said it would provide an opportunity for clinicians to work autonomously with clinical responsibility for all aspects of their patients’ care.

Doctors appointed to the new post will not have rights to treat private patients.

The paper also indicated that the salary of level 1 consultants would be lower than those in level 2 positions, ie existing medical consultants, or level 3 posts – clinical directors. However, the paper does not specifically mention any salary level.

“The consultant level 1 will be clinically independent in relation to decisions on the diagnosis, treatment and care of individual patients, subject to statutory and regulatory requirements and corporate policies and procedures.

“The consultant’s clinical autonomy will be delivered within an overall clinical governance framework whereby healthcare teams are accountable for the quality, safety and satisfaction of patients in the care they deliver. The reporting relationship of the consultant level 1 will be to the clinical director/employer in line with the reporting relationships of consultants employed under consultant contract 2008.”

It said salary would be set in line with the norms applying for cognate public sector grades. A consultant level 1 would be able to progress to consultant level 2 and on to consultant level 3 “subject to normal competitive requirements”.

The paper said consultant level 1 posts would initially be created in specialities such as emergency medicine, acute medicine, general medicine, general surgery, anaesthesia, geriatric medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, radiology and psychiatry. Over time, consultant level 1 posts could be incorporated into other specialities and sub-specialities.

It said the new grade would also be linked to the Government’s proposed hospital group/trust system. Level 1 consultants would work in all categories of hospitals but not “solely” in those dealing with the most complex cases.