Consultants soften stance on new posts

IMO conference: Hospital consultants who are members of the Irish Medical Organisation have indicated they may soften their …

IMO conference:Hospital consultants who are members of the Irish Medical Organisation have indicated they may soften their opposition to plans by the Minister for Health to advertise 50 new consultant posts later this week in the absence of agreement on a new consultants contract.

In advance of a meeting with contract talks chairman Mark Connaughton later today, sources said IMO consultants were likely to co-operate with the expansion of consultant members, albeit under protest.

Explaining that IMO consultants were now unlikely to refuse to participate in the interview process for new posts, one consultant told The Irish Times: "we are not in the business of confrontation. If new appointments are to be made, it is important that successful candidates be properly qualified and be of a high calibre".

Others said they expected a broad range of contracts would be put forward at today's talks. It was important not to discourage specialist registrars from applying for these new posts as it was likely any contractual difficulties would be resolved during the lengthy recruitment process.

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However, Fintan Hourihan, director of industrial relations with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said the advice to its consultant members not to assist in the recruitment process and to discourage its members from applying for the new posts, still stood.

He said the IMO would issue fresh advice to its members after today's talks. While acknowledging that worthwhile progress had been made in negotiations between doctors and the Health Service Employers Agency, he said a number of sticking points remained. They included the issue of consultants being allowed advocate on behalf of their patients, salary scales and the exact nature of new rosters involving 24-hour shift work. "We will not agree a contract that does not include the right to advocacy," he said.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said yesterday there was "not a hope" of its members signing up to a new contract under the current conditions.

The Association has advised its members not to co-operate in any way with the filling of 50 new posts, which are being announced by the Minister Harney this week (Monday).

Speaking yesterday on RTÉ Radio One's This Week programme, the IHCA's Assistant General Secretary Donal Duffy said "There's not a hope of us signing up to a contract by Tuesday". The IHCA will hold an extraordinary general meeting to discuss its position.

Earlier, Dr Christine O'Malley, outgoing president of the IMO told its annual meeting "there is no point in bringing in additional consultants if there are no additional beds and no operating theatre slots".

Seán Tierney, consultant surgeon at Tallaght hospital and chairman of the IMO consultant committee, said it was his understanding that the recruitment of 50 additional consultants would begin next Thursday. However, he believed they would be recruited on a "budget neutral" basis, with no resources for additional staff or facilities planned by the Health Service Executive.

The meeting passed a motion calling for the ceiling on recruitment for healthcare staff to be lifted and additional beds and operating theatres provided to ease the crisis in A&E units.

Meanwhile, the new IMO president, Dr Paula Gilvarry, told doctors that managers now hold the power within the health service. "With power comes responsibility. They must shoulder their responsibility with equal commitment."