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Roscommon
'A shambles': Hospital being charged €6,000 a week for x-ray reading by consultants
The Saolta hospital group has failed to fill a vacancy that has been open since the beginning of this year.
THE SAOLTA HOSPITAL group has been criticised for charging Roscommon hospital up to €6,000 a week for an x-ray reading service because it has failed to fill a vacancy that has been open since January.
Currently, x-rays from the Roscommon County Hospital are read remotely by consultants in Portiuncula as the hospital has been without a permanent radiologist since the beginning of this year.
Due to the fact that consultants in Portiuncula are essentially doing the work of a Roscommon consultant, there is a charge each time an x-ray has to be read, despite the fact that both hospitals are in the same group.
The practice has been slammed by TD Denis Naughten who said hospital groups were first established so they could collaborate, share services and take some of the pressure off emergency departments.
What this has now exposed is the shambles that is the new hospital group model. It is clear that senior management are letting the consultants in the major hospitals do what they like, without providing the support to the smaller hospitals which is supposed to be the fundamental pillar for the establishment of the groups.
The Saolta University Health Care Group told TheJournal.ie that significant efforts have been undertaken to recruit a radiologist for Roscommon but they have, to date, been unsuccessful. It is hoped interviews for the position will be held in the coming weeks.
An interim arrangement has been in place since January which involves consultant radiologists in Portiuncula Hospital providing a radiology service to Roscommon Hospital. This is a short term measure and was put in place in the interest of patient safety. This arrangement has not had an impact on the radiology waiting times in Portiuncula Hospital.
“In general terms if any of our radiologists provide additional support to sites other than their base, the hospital group would agree a fee per scan and any additional payment would be made through the hospital’s payroll system – this agreement would be reached between the radiologists concerned and the Saolta University Health Care Group.”
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