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Set of recommendations issued aimed at curbing indemnity costs in medical negligence cases

Mediation and open disclosure are necessary steps that need to be taken to reduce the costs of me...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.47 17 Jun 2015


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Set of recommendations issued...

Set of recommendations issued aimed at curbing indemnity costs in medical negligence cases

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.47 17 Jun 2015


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Mediation and open disclosure are necessary steps that need to be taken to reduce the costs of medical indemnity.

That is according to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, which has today released a report outlining a number of potential reforms.

The committee examined the matter in light of a litany of lengthy and expensive claims which eventually led to admittance of liability by hospitals, but only after families and individuals spent years going through the courts process.

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The committee says the Government should require parties to consider mediation, or other alternative dispute mechanisms at an early stage to prevent costs from spiralling.

It is also recommending that the HSE introduces a standardised complaints resolution service, in line with the Ombudsman's recommendations.

It wants to see the medical indemnity lower cap to be reduced to €250,000 and for the higher cap to be reduced to €500,000, to help ease the pressure on private consultants.

Consultants with low numbers of claims would be rewarded with lower premiums.

Chair of the committee - Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer - says 'open disclosure' pilot schemes at certain hospitals have proven successful and it now needs to be accelerated across the entire hospital system.

Speaking to Newstalk Lunchtime, Deputy Buttimer said, "health service staff should be legally required to have duty of candour and to have open disclosure of informing patients when mistakes or errors occur".

"We're calling for the introduction of an open disclosure policy in regard to public hospitals," he added.


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