Public health doctors on verge of strike

PUBLIC health doctors who have responsibility for the control of infectious diseases warned last night they are on the verge of strike.

The Irish Medical Organisation said the 270 doctors are furious over the failure of the department to negotiate on the planned reform of the public health service.

The threat of further industrial action has implications for the management of infectious diseases.

However, the Department of Health last night criticised the decision to intensify industrial action.

A department spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that public health doctors should take this action.”

In December last, public health doctors voted by a 94% majority in favour of industrial action.

Despite two conciliation conferences at the Labour Relations Commission, the IMO said no progress was forthcoming from the department or the health boards.

IMO vice-president and chairperson of the Public Health Committee Dr Joe Barry warned health services, such as the surveillance and control of infectious diseases, vaccinations and other preventive health programmes, are already overstretched.

He said the services face further deterioration if a work-to-rule dispute continued indefinitely.

Dr Barry said: “This was not a decision taken lightly. In 1994 new public health structures were set up and should have been reviewed within two years but the process was delayed by the Department of Health until April 2002.

“As a matter of urgency, the review reiterated a long-term recommendation that a formal ‘out of hours’ arrangement be negotiated and put in place.

He claimed: “The Government has failed to organise on-call rosters of public health doctors to heighten preparedness for any potential bio-terrorist attack, as well as the management of infectious disease generally.”

The IMO said its mandate includes strike action. It said doctors were frustrated and had lost patience with the department over the long delays in the review of the service. The doctors, who have been refusing to participate in the implementation of planning in relation to biological threats, served notice to health boards of an extension of its work-to-rule from Monday week, March 10.

The IMO said it has sought a meeting with Defence Minister Michael Smith to brief him on Ireland’s lack of preparedness for a bio-terrorism threat.