Hospital consultants represented by the Irish Medical Organisation have deferred their planned strike action for seven days.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, is hoping to convince hospital consultants from the Irish Medical Organisation to call off their planned strike action during a meeting later today.

More than 600 hospital consultants are reportedly planning to press ahead with strike action from next month despite their colleagues’ decision to defer the planned action.

TWO hospital consultant representative groups are split on whether the Government’s guarantee on malpractice cover is enough to persuade them to call off their industrial action.

Health Minister Mary Harney has said she is not prepared to sign a "blank cheque" for hospital consultants to end to a long-running dispute over insurance cover.

The Irish Patients Association has slammed plans by hospital consultants to take industrial action from next month due to a long-running row over insurance cover.

Hospital consultants in the Irish Medical Organisation are reportedly planning to press ahead with industrial action next month, despite government assurances designed to alleviate their concerns.

Hospital consultants are reportedly seeking legal advice about the Government’s latest assurances before deciding whether to call off industrial action planned for next month.

Planned industrial action by hospital consultants could reportedly be averted following a Cabinet decision taken yesterday.

Hospital consultants tonight voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in an escalation of the dispute over medical insurance cover.

Industrial action by hospital consultants is looking increasingly likely after talks aimed at resolving the matter ended without agreement last night.

A HIGH Court judge yesterday criticised the decision of the Medical Defence Union (MDU) to withdraw indemnity from a consultant obstetrician who is being sued for €4.14 million the amount of a settlement approved by the court a year ago in favour of a 10-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy and other health complications.

HOSPITAL consultants yesterday gave Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney five weeks to resolve their insurance row after they voted to ballot their members on strike action.

TÁNAISTE Mary Harney is facing her first real crisis at the Department of Health after hospital consultants and nurses yesterday threatened strike action.

The prospect of industrial action by the country’s hospital consultants loomed with the eight-to-one majority decision yesterday by members of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in favour of action.

Claire O’Sullivan

HOSPITAL consultants are to meet today to consider strike action after talks with the Department of Health on the long-running row over medical insurance cover stalled.

HOPES are growing of a breakthrough in the long festering row between the Government and the British Medical Union over insurance cover for hospital consultants.

A PANEL of legal teams will be offered by the Department of Health to the surgeon from St James’ Hospital who is due in court shortly in a controversial alleged medical negligence case.

DOCTORS at the country’s biggest hospital are considering an all-out strike in a row over indemnity cover which could spread to other hospitals.

A HOSPITAL consultant is facing a malpractice hearing with the possibility of no insurance cover despite having paid his dues.

HOSPITAL consultants have warned they will “walk off the job” if any member is sued over the failure to resolve a row over who is liable for claims of past medical negligence.

Hospital patients and consultants will not be left exposed due to problems over lawsuit cover for doctors, the Tánaiste said tonight.

NEW Health Minister Mary Harney and hospital consultants seem set on a collision course following the Tánaiste’s insistence yesterday that their insurance problems will not be sorted out before a new contract is negotiated.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has promised to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure patients are fully covered for past compensation claims.

CONSULTANT obstetricians say they will be forced to give up their practice if the row between the State and a British firm over insurance cover continues.

Health Minister Micheál Martin is said to be considering legal action against the insurance company that withdrew cover from a number of consultant obstetricians.

HOSPITAL consultants involved in specialities other than obstetrics have been refused cover against medical negligence claims by their insurers.

A BRITISH firm that has refused to provide insurance cover for obstetricians was accused yesterday of using patients and consultants as pawns in their row with the Department of Health and Children.

The Irish Patients Association has called for the appointment of a third party to mediate in talks between the Irish Government and British insurance firm Medical Defence Union.

Health Minister Micheál Martin has called on the British Medical Defence Union to reverse its decision to withdraw cover from a number of doctors facing compensation claims in Ireland.

OVER €32 million was paid in claims against consultants last year, according to the Medical Defence Union’s annual report.

WE do not agree that the arrangements for medical indemnity for private practitioners are “an unholy mess born of bad business” (Irish Examiner, May 20).

HOSPITAL consultants yesterday called for an independent facilitator to head up talks to resolve a crisis over medical insurance cover.

If the current difficulties between the British-based Medical Defence Union (MDU) and the Department of Health are not resolved, it is the patients of this country who will ultimately suffer most.

THE latest decision by the British-based Medical Defence Union to stop providing secure cover for consultants in private practice drew an angry response from the Department of Health yesterday.

AN insurance body is refusing to pay compensation to around 100 women who say that their wombs were unnecessarily removed.

THE Government is under pressure to bail out the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which is now threatening to leave consultants financially exposed to negligence claims.

CONSULTANTS have been warned they may not be covered for new and existing claims after the Medical Defence Union (MDU) withdrew from talks with the Department of Health.

HOSPITAL consultants have called off next week's planned industrial action following a plea for peace talks with the Health Minister Mícheál Martin.

A PATIENTS’ group last night appealed to hospital consultants to suspend their industrial action as more than 200 patients due for operations this week have had their procedures cancelled.

Patients across Ireland found their surgeries cancelled today as hospital consultants stepped up industrial action by halting work on a scheme to cut waiting lists.

HOSPITAL consultants have rejected a call by Health Minister Micheál Martin to defer industrial action while Government efforts to secure insurance cover for past malpractice claims continue.

Health Minister Micheál Martin has accused hospital consultants of undermining efforts to reach an agreement on a new scheme to insure them against compensation claims.