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.

It was the largest-ever meeting of the 1,550-strong IHCA and the first time in the history of the State that a minister for health had pushed them to the brink.

“The minister’s very drastic decision to introduce this measure [from] today has forced hospital consultants to take action to protect patients,” said IHCA president Dr Colm Quigley.

The IHCA said the scheme would leave consultants financially exposed. Until the Medical Defence Union and the Department of Health had an agreement to cover all past claims for personal injuries, IHCA consultants would implement a phased campaign, starting today when they will withdraw from administrative services and will not engage in any further National Treatment Purchase Fund procedures.

“If there is still no resolution by February 23, hospital consultants will move to provide emergency services only in all hospitals from that date,” Dr Quigley warned. Consultants, will, however, involve the Health and Safety Authority where concerns arise regarding overcrowding, inadequate facilities or general safety of patients or hospital staff.

Health Minister Micheál Martin last night described the action as a gross over-reaction.

“Enterprise liability was introduced because it would be better for patients, hospitals and save taxpayers’ money.”

It would mean that if a person is suing for any injury they will now sue the hospital or the health board and will not have to sue ever individual doctor or person involved in the enterprise. Consultants, however, are worried that they will not be covered for events that happened in the past and the Medical Defence Union is indicating that it may not be in a position to cover them. Mr Martin, who is meeting the MDU today, said if the body did decide not to defend a consultant in a negligence claim, his department had undertaken to fight the case in court.

But the IHCA said there was a risk that the State could lose such an action that would have to be taken in a British court of law.