Consultants to protest against insurance scheme

Hospital consultants have warned they will withdraw from all but emergency services in three weeks time if a dispute over a new insurance scheme is not resolved.

The action was announced following a closed four-hour meeting yesterday attended by more than 450 members of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) in Dublin.

Members voted overwhelmingly for a phased plan of action that will culminate with all elective surgery cancelled and outpatients services cancelled from Monday, February 23.