public only consultant contract 2023 numbers: €129/month

What did Parliamentary Question 211 ask regarding POCC 2023 numbers?

On 23 September 2026, Parliamentary Question 211 asked the Minister for Health to provide the public only consultant contract 2023 numbers as of 31 August 2026. The query sought national and site-by-site breakdowns of contract types, rostered out-of-hours work, and actual extended-hours sessions delivered by consultants.

The question, tabled by Deputy David Cullinane, sought to clarify the exact progress of the transition to the new contract. Because the Minister for Health referred the query to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply, the exact public only consultant contract 2023 numbers remain a matter of administrative follow-up. The official record of the exchange is published in the Dáil Éireann Debate on 23 September 2026.

For private practice consultants, the ongoing tracking of these figures highlights the state's focus on monitoring public-only commitments. As the HSE gathers these site-specific numbers, the division between public hospital sessions and private room sessions continues to face intense regulatory scrutiny. Clinical directors and practice managers are monitoring these developments closely to understand the broader trends in pocc 2023 uptake across regional hospital groups.

How does Clause 24 govern external private practice for consultants?

Clause 24 of the consultant contract ireland (POCC 2023) permits consultants to engage in off-site private practice in private facilities outside their public service commitment. This clause strictly prohibits private practice during public hours, ensuring a clear division between public duties and external private rooms.

The administration of this rule is detailed in the HSE Explanatory Notes, which clarify that private practice is barred during a consultant's public service commitment. For urologists running busy sessions, this means that private lists—such as flexible cystoscopy, urodynamics, or transperineal prostate biopsy lists—must be scheduled strictly around public hospital commitments.

Managing this separation requires precise diary coordination. Consultants operating across multiple sites, such as the Beacon, Hermitage, or Blackrock Clinic, must maintain distinct schedules to avoid any overlap that could breach Clause 24 compliance guidelines.

What are the rules for private practice inside public facilities?

Under the POCC 2023, private practice inside public facilities is prohibited unless the consultant has explicit, written employer permission. The contract outlines a policy to phase out private care from public acute hospitals, forcing a clearer separation of public and private healthcare delivery.

This operational shift means that consultants cannot use public hospital infrastructure for private patient consultations or procedures without formal authorization. Consequently, establishing independent, off-site administration has become essential for specialists maintaining a private practice.

To navigate this transition, private rooms must implement structured scheduling and intake processes. Using dedicated practice management for private consultants and specialists allows clinical administrative staff to manage referrals and patient data entirely outside the public hospital network.

Transition Checklist for Private Practice Administration

• Roster Audit: Review public hospital session schedules to ensure zero administrative overlap with private clinic hours.
• Site Verification: Confirm admitting rights and theatre session times at independent private hospitals.
• Data Separation: Ensure patient records, clinical dictation transcripts, and billing data are hosted on secure, GDPR-compliant infrastructure.

When did the Appendix 9 transition periods officially expire?

The Appendix 9 transition periods under the POCC 2023 officially expired at the end of 2025 for consultants who signed before the end of 2023. For those signing later, the transition period expired six months after their signature date, ending temporary public-private scheduling overlaps.

This transition window previously allowed consultants moving from older contracts to maintain existing private practice arrangements during their public schedule for a limited time. With these grace periods now fully expired, the strict separation of public contract hours and private practice is mandatory.

While tracking the public only consultant contract 2023 numbers remains a priority for the HSE, the operational reality for clinical secretaries is the elimination of hybrid scheduling. Administrative workflows must now align with secure, independent data hosting to maintain compliance with POCC 2023 data standards using EU-hosted systems in AWS Dublin.

Which registered insurers cover inpatient care for private patients?

According to the Health Insurance Authority register, four open-market insurers provide inpatient health insurance cover in Ireland: Irish Life Health, Laya Healthcare, Level Health, and Vhi Healthcare. Private rooms must verify patient eligibility and handle billing directly through each insurer's established administrative channels.

The HIA Register of Health Benefits Undertakings lists these specific legal entities, including Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (operating as Level Health) and AXA Insurance dac (operating as Laya Healthcare). Because automated eligibility checks are not integrated into standard practice software, administrative staff must manually coordinate pre-authorisations and claims through each insurer's dedicated portal. Navigating registration rules, such as the Vhi consultant registration rules, remains a manual but critical task for new practices.

To reduce the administrative burden of managing these multi-site, multi-insurer workflows, consultants can utilize modern practice management systems. Brigid provides clinical rooms with secure diary management, patient card payments, and consult dictation transcription to keep administrative records organized. Additionally, the upcoming MyBrigid patient app is designed to put patients in control of their own care, allowing them to complete intake forms and pay bills directly from their phones, with the patient deciding exactly what clinical details to share with each clinic.

To prepare your rooms for these strict scheduling and administrative boundaries, audit your current clinic timetables against your public commitment hours today.

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