The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is hitting out at the government over the latest waiting-list figures.

The number of vacant hospital consultant posts across the public health service is heading towards 500 at a time of HSE recruitment restrictions and when emergency departments are buckling under trolley numbers.

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.

Legal action by hundreds of hospital consultants claiming a breach of contract over pay will be “vigorously defended”, the Department of Health says.

Many acute hospitals are using antiquated equipment manufacturers no longer stand over, it has emerged.

The State Claims Agency resolved 487 clinical negligence claims last year costing €69.6m, an Oireachtas committee has been told.

A "significant" number of hospital consultants are set to sue the State over millions of euro in unpaid salary rises they claim are owed to them since 2008.

The cost of private health insurance could rise yet again if insurance companies force private hospital consultants to pay an extra 42% in premiums to protect against medical negligence claims.

The Irish Medical Organisation has warned that the health service will collapse “from the inside” and patients will suffer because of a shortage of consultants.

Health Minister James Reilly and the HSE are considering paying newly appointed hospital consultants more money because of the failure to fill key posts.

Senior doctors have called for more realistic budgets to treat growing numbers of patients in acute public hospitals at a time when the sector is running a deficit of €28m.

Ambitious plans to restructure the acute hospital sector have received a broadly positive welcome.

More than 40,000 people will lose their medical cards, due to new income eligibility changes ann-ounced in the budget and further cuts by the HSE.

The Labour Court has recommended hospital consultants forego up to €50,000 of overtime pay they are owed by the State.

Some of the country’s best paid doctors are on a collision course with Government in a dispute that could end in pay cuts and potential legal action.

The HSE has warned hospital consultants they risk being exposed to pay cuts if they do not attend a Labour Court hearing on Thursday.

Talks have concluded between health service managers and hospital consultants on new working arrangements this morning, almost eight hours later than the deadline set by Minister for Health James Reilly.

Direct talks between the HSE and hospital consultants on significant cost-saving reforms broke down yesterday.

TROLLEY numbers in hospital emergency departments reached record levels during the first three months of this year, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

THE State’s health service budget overrun could reach half a billion euro by the year end, hospital consultants warned yesterday.

MOST EU countries expect their milk output to increase significantly if, as expected, milk quotas are eliminated in 2015.

The Irish dairy sector is extremely concerned that European Union negotiators are going beyond the Luxembourg reform agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy in negotiating the current World Trade Organisation round.

THE impact of the US dollar decline on Irish agri-food exports were among the issues raised in Brussels yesterday by a delegation from ICOS, the co-ops national umbrella body.

Farm groups have welcomed today's easing of anti foot-and-mouth measures.