Doctors to discuss A&E crisis at conference

Doctors are expected to discuss the crisis in accident and emergency units and industrial action over pay awards at their annual…

Doctors are expected to discuss the crisis in accident and emergency units and industrial action over pay awards at their annual conference in Killarney today.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) members want the Government to keep its promise to pay family doctors the national pay agreements and to include them in a benchmarking process.

Health service employers want doctors to engage in a review of the medical card scheme before they get the pay award.

IMO president Dr James Reilly said yesterday the Government was attempting to attach conditions to the pay award for doctors that had not been attached to payments for other workers.

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Other issues due to be discussed include a potential boycott of the Government's new doctor-only medical card scheme.

The IMO has also published a paper on ways to address the crisis in accident and emergency units throughout the country.

The body says implementation of the Primary Care Strategy is the first step to reducing demand on A&E services.

It also wants direct access for GPs to diagnostic services, provision of more out-of-hours GP services and the transfer of elderly patients inappropriately placed in acute hospital beds to long-term nursing accommodation.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney will address the IMO conference tomorrow afternoon.