THE HEALTH SERVICE Executive has told hospital managers around the country to stop offering new contracts of employment to non-consultant hospital doctors for periods beyond July.
In a letter to local management last week, the HSE’s national director of human resources Seán McGrath said that successful candidates for posts starting after the beginning of July should be told that the contractual arrangements to apply would start at a later date.
However, the HSE signalled that in future the core working week for non-consultant doctors could run from 8am to 8pm rather than from 9am to 5pm.
HSE sources also indicated that in future non-consultant doctors would be rostered for a 48-hour working period. It is expected that under this new plan overtime rates for non-consultant hospital doctors would only apply outside 8am to 8pm.
In the letter to local management, Mr McGrath highlighted a previous employment circular which stated that, in cases of new entrants, promotions or temporary appointments, contracts should state that the hours of work of the employee concerned “are liable to change between the hours of 8am and 8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day service”.
The HSE last week said that on average, non-consultant hospital doctors earned between €23,000 and €61,000 a year in overtime. It said this meant they received an average salary of €105,000 a year.
The HSE said that much of this was due “to inefficient 9 to 5 work practices”. The new move by the HSE is in addition to the cutbacks of tens of millions in payments and allowances to non-consultant hospital doctors announced last week by the health authority, to be introduced immediately.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which represents the doctors, has warned that any move to introduce such cutbacks without agreement would lead to a serious dispute.
The IMO is consulting with its 4,000 non-consultant doctor membership and it has called on the HSE to re-enter talks on the issue of its cost containment plan at the Labour Relations Commission.
The HSE said last week it was abolishing, with immediate effect, a paid meal-break system and a living-out allowance of up to €3,360 a year. By staggering lunch breaks and ceasing related overtime payments, the HSE said it would save more than €25 million.
An €18 million training grant scheme, under which non-consultant doctors receive just under €4,000, is to be reviewed.