Tánaiste’s stance draws fire from angry consultants

HOSPITAL consultants last night accused the Government of trying to bring the health service to its knees.

Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney was bitterly attacked for moving to impose her will by “diktat” as she insisted new contracts must be in place within two months.

As the war of words over health reform hit new levels of intensity, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) claimed Ms Harney’s “strong arm” tactics were putting the best interests of patients at risk.

“The Tánaiste seems determined to bring the health service to its knees in her Irish Ferries-style rush to impose a new hospital consultant’s contract. It is another race to the bottom and rule by diktat,” IHCA assistant secretary general Donal Duffy said.

He insisted the Health Minister’s threats to guillotine talks due to start next week was a slap in the face for constructive partnership and echoed the controversial negotiating stance of the Irish Ferries management.

Ms Harney made it clear she is determined to face down the consultants.

“We cannot wait forever to get agreement on a new contract. We are only prepared to wait a couple of months.

“The reform of consultants’ contracts is pivotal to the whole reform agenda,” she said.

The Tánaiste has warned she will employ new hospital consultants on a contract which would confine them to treating only public patients if a deal is not reached by spring which includes some consultants working to public-only contracts.

Consultants are currently obliged to work no more than 33 hours a week, time which can be spent on private as well as public patients.

Fine Gael has backed the Tánaiste’s tough stance on the reforms.

However, the IHCA has pledged to boycott the plans if no comprehensive agreement is reached first.

The Health Minister is determined to draw a line in the sand over the issue and take-on the “vested interests” represented by the IHCA.

“I want to see a situation where patients are admitted to hospital on the basis of medical need and where there is no question of a decision being made on the basis that somebody pays a fee and somebody else does not,” she said.