Page 5 - IMO Consultant Guide

The Consultant Guide

Contracts

The contract is the bedrock of the relationship between employer and employee. It sets out the rights
and responsibilities accruing to and residing with the two contracting parties. This section sets out the
main points of the various Consultant contract types, particularly as they refer to the ability to engage
in private practice.

Contract Types
There are currently four types of 2008 Consultant contract and they are Type A, Type B, Type B* and
Type C. Three of these are available to newly appointed consultants: Types A, B and C. Type B*, like
the varieties of 1997 Contract, is not available to newly appointed Consultants as it is no longer issued.
Any permanent, temporary or locum contracts will be issued as one of these three types.

The primary difference between the contract types is in the regulation of private practice. The
contracts differ in how much private work a Consultant may engage in and where this can take place.
The table below sets this out:

Contract Type
Type A May engage in public practice only (with certain limited
exceptions – see below)
Type B – signed before July May engage in private practice in facilities operated by the
'08 employer and in co-located private hospitals on public hospital
campuses for a max of 30% of their contracted hours
Type B – signed after July May engage in private practice in facilities operated by the
'08 employer and in co-located private hospitals on public hospital
campuses for a max of 20% of their contracted hours
Type B* May engage in private practice in private clinics or facilities for a
max of 30% of their contracted hours
Type C May engage in private practice in facilities provided by the
employer, co-located private hospitals on public campuses and
private clinics for a max of 20% of their contracted hours
1997 (Buckley) Contract
(no longer issued)
Category I May engage in limited off site private practice but not in private
hospitals or clinics, can use employers’ facilities subject to the
ratio of public beds in the facility. No on-call weekend
requirement.
Category II May take private patients in private hospitals or clinics and in
facilities provided by the employer subject to the ratio of private
to public beds in the facility. No on-call weekend requirement.

Please note the following work is not to be considered private practice, this applies to all contract
types:

- Professional medical practice carried out on behalf of the Mental Health Commission, the
Coroner and other Statutory bodies medical/dental education and training bodies.
- The provision of expert medical opinion relating to insurance claims, preparations of reports
for the courts and court attendance.

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