Consultants who delay holding up the collection of income from insurers will be named and shamed, Health Minister James Reilly insisted today.
The Dáil's Public Accounts Committee strongly criticised the HSE yesterday for not collecting up to €74m in claims from private insurers.
The committee issued a demand for the HSE to examine whether there is scope to publish the names of hospital consultants who are not signing off on insurance claims.
Speaking to Highland Radio at the opening of the new emergency department at Letterkenny General Hospital earlier, Minister Reilly said that those who do not co-operate will be dealt with.
"Well, they [the PAC] were very critical of certain elements in the HSE, the failure to collect money from insurance companies for treatments provided," said Minister Reilly.
"I know the director-general designate, Mr Tony O'Brien, will be making it very clear that he's going to name and shame consultants that don't co-operate.
"The LRC agreement is quite clear, there should be full co-operation in relation to these forms, they should be done within 14 days.
"So we're going to proceed with that."