Talks with consultants deferred

Talks scheduled for today aimed at improving relations between the Health Service Executive and hospital consultants have been deferred.

Last weekend an extraordinary general meeting of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) passed a motion of no confidence in the board and management of the HSE.

Late last week the IHCA was invited to meet the chief executive of the HSE, Prof Brendan Drumm, and the director of the national hospitals office, John O'Brien. However, it is understood that over the weekend the talks were postponed by the HSE.

A HSE spokeswoman said that the meeting had been deferred to a later date. It is unclear whether the deferral is linked to the resumption of negotiations between medical representative bodies and health service management on a new contract for hospital consultants.

All parties have agreed to re-enter talks on an unconditional basis under the independent chairmanship of senior counsel Mark Connaughton. It is envisaged that the negotiations will run for a defined period. Bilateral contacts between the chairman and the parties are expected to begin this week.

Talks on a new contract for consultants, one of the key elements in the Government's healthcare reforms, have been going on for the past two years.

Minister for Health Mary Harney is to bring proposals to Cabinet tomorrow containing an outline timetable for the appointment of up to 1,500 additional consultants on revised terms and conditions.

These posts are expected to attract a much higher salary in return for restrictions on private practice rights.