Hospital consultants are warning the country's public hospitals could be facing an extremely damaging crisis in the new year - which could last for months.

Health Minister Mary Harney has today agreed to meet with hospital consultants to discuss what they claim is a breach of their working contracts.

NEW work time limits, to apply to junior hospital doctors from tomorrow, will not be implemented at the expense of patient care, the Department of Health stressed yesterday.

Hospital consultants are welcoming reports of a radical reform of the health service.

ELDERLY patients who are fit to be discharged are occupying up to 600 public hospital beds daily at an annual cost of €100 million to the State and clogging up the health system.