Unions representing hospital consultants have pulled out of talks due to take place next week aimed at negotiating a new contract for the consultants.
The withdrawal is in protest at plans by the Department of Health to introduce a new way of insuring medical malpractice from the beginning of next month.
Both the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) have notified the Health Service Employers Agency they will not attend the negotiations, which were to start on Tuesday.
Any delay in the beginning of talks will be of concern to the Department as it requires the consultants to agree to new work practices if it is to be able to introduce its health service reform programme. Part of that programme will involve the reorganisation of hospital services and the provision of around the clock consultant-led services, in line with the Government-backedHanly report.
IHCA general secretary Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick said last night the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, could not expect his organisation to attend talks on a new contract when he (the Minister) planned to breach the existing contract of hospital consultants, by introducing a new form of insurance cover for consultants without agreement. "We can't see how the association could possibly go into talks on a revised contract when our outgoing contract is being trodden upon," he said.
Mr Fintan Hourihan, IMO's director of industrial relations, said that under Section 9 of the existing consultant contracts, it was stated that any change in indemnity arrangements for consultants must be introduced with agreement. However, there was still no agreement.
The unions are concerned the new insurance scheme does not cover historic liabilities of consultants once they join the scheme and does not cover consultants working exclusively in private practice.
A spokeswoman for the Department said it was always the Departments intention to introduce the new arrangements with agreement. However, after years of negotiations and three changes to the deadline by which consultants had to join the scheme, it could not be put it off any longer.
Meanwhile, sources were last night indicating that just as the Department plans to introduce enterprise liability without agreement, so too will it impose a new contract on consultants without agreement if they fail to enter talks.
First-class doctors and not enough beds: page 14