The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) was last night considering an invitation to talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) on a dispute over rosters that could affect hospitals across the State from next month. The dispute has disrupted patient services at Waterford Regional Hospital and Tullamore General Hospital and is due to resume at both hospitals tomorrow.
The move was welcomed by the Health Service Employers' Agency (HSEA), which said the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) - which manages Waterford Regional - would attend. It was not clear whether the IMO would attend. On Friday it repeated a call for the SEHB to drop the disputed rosters to allow talks to take place.
An IMO spokeswoman said it was disappointed that the SEHB had not responded to this call. IMO officials were contacting representatives of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) to get their reaction to the LRC invitation. The SEHB was thought unlikely to agree to suspend the rosters before talks at the LRC today.
The Irish Patients' Association urged both sides to attend the talks and to "take a step or two" towards meeting each other's concerns. These centre on new rosters that could mean that part of an NCHD's 39-hour basic week could be worked outside nine to five Monday to Thursday and nine to four on Friday.
The IMO claims this would take NCHDs, who are doctors training for further qualifications, out of the hospital in daytime hours when training by consultants is given.
The HSEA claims the doctors are really concerned about ensuring they get overtime for any work done outside weekday daytime hours.
Last week 275 patients at Waterford and Tullamore had outpatient clinics or planned surgery cancelled. Today 303 patients at Waterford would have faced cancellations but for a conciliatory gesture by the IMO on Friday, when it postponed further action until tomorrow.
Mr Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients' Association said the number of people who would have suffered cancellations today but for the postponement must be borne in mind by all involved.
He was concerned about disruption to patient services at Waterford and Tullamore tomorrow if the disputes there go ahead.
He believed there was still a case for the Minister, Mr Martin, to intervene "to make things happen". Specifically, the Minister should create an atmosphere in which agreement was possible.
"If everybody wants to move forward, everybody has to give a little bit," he said.
Today's talks, if they go ahead, could begin this morning. The possibility of talks was opened up on Saturday when the chief executive of the LRC, Mr Kieran Mulvey, issued an invitation to both sides.
Among the pressures faced by negotiators will be the need for the SEHB and the Midland Health Board to know sufficiently early whether they need to cancel appointments for tomorrow at Waterford Regional and Tullamore General.
Should the talks fail, or not take place at all, the threat of a nationwide dispute from mid-autumn remains, as the IMO is currently balloting for strike action on the issue.