Hospital consultants warn on campaign of industrial action

Hospital consultants are to consider a campaign of escalating industrial action which could see non-urgent admissions to public hospitals and outpatient clinics come to a halt from after Christmas.

The move follows a breakdown in talks with the Department of Health on Wednesday night in the row over who should pay for historic liabilities arising from past malpractice claims against a number of consultants following the introduction of a State indemnity scheme earlier this year.

The UK-based medical indemnity organisation, the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which accepted subscriptions from Irish doctors, now says it does not have the resources to meet these claims and that they should be borne by the State.

At a meeting on Wednesday night, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney, asked the consultants to agree to parallel talks on the insurance issue at the same time as negotiations on a new contract for senior hospital doctors - a crucial element in the Government's overall healthcare reforms.

However the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is insisting the insurance row must be dealt with in advance of talks on a new contract.

IHCA secretary general Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick said last night the association's national executive will on Saturday consider holding an extraordinary general meeting of members to discuss industrial action and legal action against the MDU. The industrial action, if agreed, would escalate over four weeks. It would begin with a refusal to attend administrative meetings and ultimately lead to a ban on elective or non-urgent admissions to hospitals and cancellation of outpatient clinics.