Both sides in doctors’ dispute believe deadlock can be broken

BOTH sides in the doctors’ dispute said they were confident they could resolve an impasse over rostering, ending any further threat of strike action.

The Health Services Employers Agency and the Irish Medical Organisation met yesterday in the first round of Labour Relations Commission-convened talks aimed at resolving the rosters dispute at Waterford Regional Hospital and Tullamore in Offaly.

They will meet again on Friday.

The second day of discussion will coincide with the result of a ballot on strike action by training doctors in hospitals nationwide.

The results of the ballot of all 3,500 doctors is due about 5pm on Friday.

That postal ballot is expected to support industrial action in hospitals where management tries to enforce new rosters without consulting staff.

It also comes as nurses, members of the Irish Nurses Organisation, threaten industrial action at St John’s Hospital in Sligo tomorrow.

Nurses say they are working up to three nurses below safe levels at the unit.

“Nurses have tried to pursue this issue through negotiation, and more recently through a work-to-rule,” INO industrial relations officer Noel Treanor said.

“They balloted for strike action, giving the board a fortnight’s notice, and as yet, the board have not made an acceptable offer,” Mr Treanor said.

The strike will run for 24 hours from 8.30am.

IMO industrial relations executive Paul Connolly has been on the picket line with doctors in Waterford over the past fortnight. Mr Connolly said yesterday’s talks set the agenda for further discussions on Friday.

Pickets in Waterford and Tullamore have been suspended for a month to allow talks.

“The talks will continue over the next four weeks but we are meeting again on Friday,” Mr Connolly said.

“Today’s session pretty much focused on housekeeping matters,” he said.

“We all have four weeks now to iron this out and we are hopeful that we can do it.”

All sides involved in the talks have set a September 16 deadline.

If a resolution is not found, an all-out strike by junior doctors at all major hospitals around the country could result.

Meanwhile, the South Eastern Health Board has revealed that patients who have had surgical procedures or outpatients clinics cancelled because of industrial action at Waterford Regional Hospital during two weeks of industrial action will have their appointments rescheduled.

However, it could take three months or more for consultants at the 500-bed hospital to catch up on clinics and surgical procedures because of industrial action over rosters by 130 junior doctors at the hospital.

Those who have had appointments cancelled will be given priority.

Over the five-day dispute, 756 outpatients clinics and 101 theatres were cancelled.

All emergency procedures took place as normal, as did cancer and renal clinics.

The non-consultant hospital doctors withdrew from work and picketed outside the hospital on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week and on Thursday and Friday of the previous week.

The action came after management tried to roster junior doctors outside of their normal training hours of 9am to 5pm.