Over the last few weeks, one theme has come up as an common discussion topic in almost all Doctors' Res and even Facebook - that is the HSE cutbacks and the potential implications to the doctors here in Ireland, particularly NCHD's (Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors).. Of course, the consultants, be it in the public or private sector, had their share earlier on sometime last year with the big row with the new consultant contract.. But, let's face it, that issue was never a big lunchtime topic for NCHD's..
Of course, furthermore, the Irish government itself has implemented several big ideas to further cut the income of the population across the board.. With the introduction of the 1% income levy (on basic annual income, for earnings up to €100,000, and 2% on earnings thereafter), the pinch is such a sting that it may be hard to bear.. Even recently, the government has introduced another cutback on pensions.. It is hard to even try to comprehend when, after all the services you have done, you may end up with not a single penny in your pension account!
NCHD : The HSE Slaves?
Come 18th February, if everything goes 'according to plan' by the government/HSE, the new implementation of cutbacks on NCHD incomes.. Some of the proposed cutbacks are as listed below :
- Training grant will be cancelled
- Living out allowance cancelled
- Higher degree allowance cancelled
- Diploma allowance cancelled
- Mandatory pre-call day off without any pay
- Mandatory post-call day off without any pay
- Mandatory one-hour unpaid lunchbreak each day
- Interns to be restricted to 48hrs paid hours only from July 1st
- Cutting in CORE BASIC pay (unspecified percentage)
- Overtime to be cut from time-and-a-quarter for the first 15 hours to TIME ONLY
- No premium overtime rates for Sundays and bank holidays
1. NCHD's receive approximately €3,800 per annum for Training Grants.. This fund is used to support NCHD's for paying examinations (eg. MRCP Part 1 exam costs €550, MRCP Part 2 Clinical costs €750), buying revision books, €1,900 allocated for laptop/desktop for continuing education purposes, €550 allocated for PDA, for course fees and so forth.. Should this be cancelled, all NCHD's will have to dig deep in their own pockets to afford those fees and payments for their own education..
2. Living Out Allowances fare approximately €250 monthly as a 'compensation' for NCHD's when the employer (HSE/Hospital) does not supply accommodation to the doctors.. As for that, of course it will never cover the rent/mortgage the doctors are paying but certainly it lessens the burden.. The general rent rate in Limerick at present is €850 for a 2-bedroom apartment or roughly €1,200 monthly for a similar apartment in Dublin!
3. Higher Degree and Diploma Allowances account for about €2,900 and €1,000 annually respectively.. These are extra tips on top of the basic pay as doctors mature with their career.. For example, once an NCHD completes the MRCP exams, then this allowance in payable to him.. Needless to say, although it may sound lavish, the path towards accomplishing these titles are undoubtedly horrid.. In a way, these are a career achievement rather than just extras.. It doesn't hurt to be acknowledged..
Now, the interesting parts..
4. Mandatory no-pay pre-call day off and post-call day off.. This is just a joke, ridiculously a joke! By common sense, no consultant will allow this to happen.. Having said that, remember, this cutbacks does not affect the consultants, hence they may miss to take these into considerations once this changes take place.. I give a simple example, say Dr A, a consultant, is oncall on Tuesday, and (taken Limerick as an example) the whole of Dr A's team is oncall.. On Monday, there will be no one from his team at work because of the mandatory no-pay pre-call day off.. Then, all of his subordinates will be in on Tuesday and then on Wednesday all of his team will be off again! Who will look after Dr A's patients on Monday and Wednesday? Who will do present the patients and sort out the new patients from Tuesday? Does Dr A expect his team to come in for work on Monday and Wednesday and NOT BEING PAID? I rest my case..
5. In busy hospitals, lunchtime is never a lunchtime.. More often than not, it is the time for NCHD's to do the smaller jobs in the wards to buy some time to complete their work by 5pm.. Some other teams, which are less busy, would take the lunchtime to do 'dry rounds' - going through the patient list without seeing the patients.. Teaching hospitals take the one-hour break as much as three times a week for NCHD teaching sessions or Grand Rounds.. Now, what will happen if doctors are not paid in that one hour period? Why not go out for lunch? why work when you will not be paid?
6. Time-Only Overtime.. Up to date, after the 39-hour week scheduled for official working hours, every hour are paid 25% extra on top the hourly rate.. Roughly, if your hourly rate is €20, then every hour overtime you are paid €25.. This goes up to 15 hours overtime.. After that, every hour will be paid as T+1/2, which means 50% on top of hourly rate.. Now, say the first 15 hours now are being paid as basic hourly rate, then common sense sinks in and ask "Why should I stay back?" And what happens during oncall? You stay overnight only to be paid the same hourly rate despite having to work the long 24-hour shift on your toes? I suppose, the pre- and post-call unpaid mandatory day off is the compensation for that.. Maybe.. And no premium overtime rates mean that working on Sundays or any public holidays are as the same as working on any day.. As of now, as of the signed contract to date, Sundays and public holidays are paid double time.. Maybe not for any longer..
All of these cutbacks are a 180-degree turn from the signed contract.. Question is, if these new plans are brought into place :
Does the current signed contract have any legal standing in the eye of the HSE/Government,
That all stated in the contract are easily cancelled by HSE?
Is this the new era of political/professional slavery?
Salam..
That all stated in the contract are easily cancelled by HSE?
Is this the new era of political/professional slavery?
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