Consultants give Harney five weeks to solve hospital row

HOSPITAL consultants yesterday gave Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney five weeks to resolve their insurance row after they voted to ballot their members on strike action.

But Ms Harney last night said the “the real sufferers” of any strike action would be patients.

A date of March 14 was set for the beginning of the industrial action, which will involve consultants completing emergency work only and not taking part in scheduled surgery or outpatient clinics.

Tens of thousands of public and private patients would be affected by the action if it goes ahead.

It was agreed at an emergency general meeting in Dublin yesterday that the action can only be averted if consultants receive legally binding assurance from the Department of Health that they won’t be unprotected if former insurer, the Medical Defence Union (MDU), refuses to cover them.

The consultants also urged Ms Harney to join them in taking legal action against the MDU which, they claim, has “acted appallingly”.

The other consultant representative group, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) voted nine-to-one last Friday to join the IHCA in industrial action.

IHCA president Dr Josh Keaveney said the IHCA’s 1,500 consultants wholeheartedly support the taking of strike action for the first time in their history.

“There is an appetite out there for sustained action. Consultants feel it is regrettable but they feel they have no other option. We haven’t rushed into this,” he said.

“It is the minister who decides whether this will go ahead or not, as it is only the department who can sort this out for doctors and patients.”

The row with the department began a year ago over the refusal by the London-based MDU to provide legal cover for alleged malpractice cases which took place while they were receiving insurance premiums from consultants.

The MDU believes the department should cover these cases as they took over hospital consultant insurance in February last year.

It is estimated that the bill from such cases could total €400 million and the department believes taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill.

In a statement last night, Ms Harney expressed disappointment at the stance taken by the consultants.

Ballot papers will be sent to IHCA members in the next fortnight and must be returned by February 22.