ICO statement in response to the publication of the Report on the Costs of Medical Indemnity Insurance by the Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children

Thursday, June 18^th

The Irish College of Ophthalmologists has welcomed the Report on the Cost of Medical Indemnity Insurance which was published by the Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children on Wednesday, June 17th.

The significant rise in the cost of medical indemnity cover for doctors in Ireland is a serious concern and has already led to some clinicians making the decision to cease medical practice. This situation will continue if there is no change. The ICO support the call for procedural reform in the legal process which addresses personal injury claims, including pre-action protocols, periodic payment orders and limitations on the size of damages. 

The introduction of Open Disclosure is to be supported, however, it must be possible for practitioners to apologise without it being used in court against them and we urge the introduction of the necessary protections to make this possible. Doctors work in very challenging environments where there is little room for error. It must be recognised that mistakes can occur without intentional negligence on the part of medical teams and while adverse events are very traumatic for patients so too are they for medical staff where harm is often as a result of systems failure or unintentional error.  The focus must be on supporting patients and doctors and on learning from adverse events to improve patient safety.  We also encourage the exploration of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so that claims can be resolved without the need to go to Court.

The ICO would welcome the lowering of the caps but only if this translates into reduced premiums for private consultants.  Consultants in private practice provide an essential service in the provision of healthcare in Ireland and significantly ease the burden on an already stretched public system. 

The College calls on TDs and Senators to address the issues raised in the Report as soon as possible, legislating where necessary, as failure to do so will add to the already significant pressures on the Irish Health Service.

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For further information or to speak to an ICO spokesperson, please contact ICO Communications Manager, Ciara Keenan on ciara.keenan@eyedoctors.ie / 01 402 2777

18^th June 2015