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Medical opinions in Ireland are highly valued

Consultant psychiatrists were collectively paid nearly euro 3.621 million last year for sitting on mental health tribunal panels or appearing before those bodies to give their independent opinions, according to The Irish Medical Times.

A total of 54 psychiatrists who sat on tribunal panels collectively received just over euro 643 million, while 48 independent consultant psychiatrists received nearly euro 61.978 million in the same time frame.

Given that the total expenditure for all these tribunal panels in 2007 was just over euro10.685 million, these two categories of consultant psychiatrists collectively took almost 34 per cent of all money paid out in fees and expenses.

Mental health tribunal panels consist of a barrister or solicitor, who chairs that body; a consultant psychiatrist; and any other individual who is not a barrister, solicitor, doctor or nurse. The independent consultant psychiatrist is appointed so that the panel can be given an analysis of the patient’s condition by another doctor.

The other fees and expenses paid out to members of such tribunals were as follows: 65 legal representatives of patients were paid euro 3.154 million; 66 members of the legal profession who chaired the tribunals received euro 1.926 million; 84 lay members of the tribunal panels got euro 1.016 million; while 25 tribunal clerks received euro 0.627 million.

Source: Irish Medical Times

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