Earning variations will make talks ‘difficult’

Variations in the earning potential of hospital consultants will prove a major stumbling block in upcoming negotiations between the Department of Health and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA).

Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the IHCA, said the money earned by consultants who also work in the private sector ‘‘varies substantially’’.

The vast majority of consultants treat patients privately in addition to doing a notional 33-hour working week in the public sector. This ...