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Obstetricians face €500,000 insurance tab
[Posted: Fri 20/06/2003 www.irishhealth.com]
by Fergal Bowers
The level of claims by Irish patients against obstetricians here has forced one of the main medical insurance firms to now charge each consultant a fee of half a million euro a year for malpractice cover, irishhealth.com can reveal.
As most of the insurance fees paid by consultants are reimbursed by the State, the Irish taxpayer funds the cost of insuring hospital consultants.
The Medical Defence Union, which is based in London, has said that there is a crisis in the area of obstetrics and has been in talks with the Department of Health on how to deal with it.
It has just informed its members in writing that the annual insurance fee for a consultant obstetrician will now be 499,007 euro. General surgeons will have to pay 56,940 euro a year.
In recent years, Irish obstetricians have moved from the MDU and have taken out insurance with a rival firm.
The Department is planning to bring in a scheme whereby the State will take over cover for all consultants. Many obstetricians are covered by the State now as part of this scheme which has yet to be applied to all doctors.
Anonymous
Posted:
20/06/2003 11:24 |
| This is as a result of too many claims by patients - in some cases unneccessary. In one of the US States (Georgia?), because of excess claims by a few, obstetricians no longer practiced in that State, denying all women of the service. The law was changed to limit the nature and value claims to only essentials before obstetricians could recommence practice in this State. |
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