Robbing Public To Pay Private?

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 22, 2005 22:53 by John Williams johnwrites03 at yahoo dot co dot uk Tipperary

Questions right of using public money to pay for heat and light in Consultants private clinic

In light of the nursing home charges and the heat they generated I would like to high light another questionable practice which is prevailing in Waterford Regional Hospital.

I refer to the fact that,according to information which I obtained through Freedom of Information, public money is paying for the light and heat in the Consultants Private Clinic .I have a letter from the hospital confirming this and stating the consultants have a contract which allows this. I have also contacted the Ombudsman to ask if she could investigate.I set out the reply hereunder. I have removed the name of the sender.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Our Reference : INV/05/0200
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| 9 March 2005
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| Dear Mr Williams
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| I refer to your recent letter in connection with the contracts of Hospital
| Consultants.
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| The Ombudsman may investigate complaints against Government Departments
and
| Offices, Local Authorities, Health Boards, and An Post. However, she is
| specifically precluded from investigating complaints relating to terms and
| conditions of a contract for services entered into by any of these bodies.
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| In this regard section 5 (1) (d) (ii) of the Ombudsman Act, 1980,
provides,
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| " the Ombudsman shall not investigate any action taken by or on
| behalf of a person .... relating to or affecting the terms and
| conditions .... of a contract for services"
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| I regret therefore that we cannot be of assistance to you in this matter.
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| Yours sincerely
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| NAME REMOVED
| Corporate Services Unit
|
___________________________________________________________________________________________

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This would seem to suggest that Ireland needs an Ombudsman who can investigate such contracts. What would be the situation if I had a contract to say I could take your money to pay my bills? I would question the validity of any such contract and question its legality.

Consultants in private practice are operating a business and should pay their own overheads or else take their business out of the hospital.

I am making further enquiries as to whether the practise can be investigated by anyone. If it can I will be making a complaint. Meanwhile, I request access to your newswaves to tell the public, especially public patients who may be on the 'corridor trolly express', that this is happening.

Note: If anyone knows who, if anyone, can investigate this, please email me. I will not mention any names