State faces €3.3bn bill to fund future claims made against HSE
THE State is facing a potential liability of €3.3bn to fund future clinical and non-clinical claims against the Health Service Executive (HSE).
New figures published by the HSE show the scale of the State’s liability last year increased by €510m from €2.792bn at the start of the year to €3.3bn at the end of last December.
The HSE 2019 accounts reveal €2.77bn relates to active claims in respect of clinical care, while €580m relates to active claims in the non-clinical care area.
Last year, the charge to the HSE from financing the claims totalled €390.94m.
The HSE annual report also disclosed its protective disclosures unit last year received 2,105 protected disclosures.
Last year, back pay for consultants sent the numbers earning over €300,000 at the HSE soaring more than seven fold to 135, from 19.
The 135 includes two staff members who earned over €500,000 and nine on €400,000 to €500,000, while 894 staff members received pay between €200,000 and €300,000.
The €85m paid out in back pay to consultants contributed to the HSE’s pay bill swelling by 6.8pc to €6bn for 2019.
The back pay arose from a settlement agreed between the State and medical consultants concerning an alleged breach of contract in relation to the non-implementation of the 2008 consultants contract.
HSE chief Paul Reid
As a result of the settlement, a further €101m is to be paid out this year.
In total, 3,062 staff members at the HSE last year received pay over €100,000 – compared to 2,834 in 2016 – a rise of 228.
During 2019, numbers employed by the HSE increased by 535 to 76,905.
CEO Paul Reid took up his post on May 14 last year and the accounts show he received total remuneration of €264,314 comprising basic pay of €224,359, allowances of €30,288 and benefit in kind (company car) of €9,667.
Pay to key management personnel at the HSE last year totalled €1.7m. In a statement in the report, Mr Reid stated that a key priority for the HSE in 2019 was “to finally get a grip on the health budget”.