The two main organisations representing doctors have criticised the Health Service Executive (HSE) over its approach to talks on a new contract for hospital consultants.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) said that a meeting scheduled to take place today to recommence the talks process would no longer go ahead.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) also confirmed that it would not be attending the proposed meeting.
Dr PJ Breen, chairman of the IHCA, said the HSE had failed to rescind its breach of Sustaining Progress.
"The HSE seems determined to avoid negotiating a new consultants' contract and bringing about a badly needed reform of the health service that the public wants and deserves."
The HSE yesterday rejected the charge that it was in breach of Sustaining Progress and expressed "deep disappointment" at the refusal of the two organisations not to re-enter negotiations. "It had been hoped that both sides would meet tomorrow to resume talks but unfortunately this will now not happen," said a HSE spokesman.
Fintan Hourihan of the IMO said: "This is typical of the HSE's bullish approach to doctors in general." This "further stalling" followed half a dozen other incidents where the HSE indicated its lack of co-operation with consultants.