The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has said it is ready to go back into talks with health service employers on a new contract for its members once the Health Service Executive's plans to scrap category II consultant contracts are revoked.
The plan was announced by the Minister for Health Mary Harney in the Dáil earlier this month after a decision had been taken on it by the HSE. However the consultant representative bodies - the IHCA and Irish Medical Organisation - had not been informed. Talks between consultants and health service employers broke down last Thursday on this issue. No date has been fixed for them to resume.
Dr Josh Keaveney, president of the IHCA, said yesterday changes had to be negotiated rather than imposed.
"We were in there and we will go back in . . . but we can't go into negotiations where the Tánaiste is talking about the contract she is going to impose upon us in the Dáil and the HSE are making unilateral decisions. That is unacceptable to anyone in negotiations," he told RTÉ's This Week programme.
Category II contracts allow consultants to work in private hospitals once they are finished their day's work in a public hospital.
"Under the new contract there will be no private practice in public hospitals. People need to understand that this is a fundamental change in the entire delivery of the health service . . . you will have an absolute split between public and private practice, the problem for patients is you will have the split of expertise," Dr Keaveney said.