Hospital consultants split over strike action

TWO hospital consultant representative groups are split on whether the Government’s guarantee on malpractice cover is enough to persuade them to call off their industrial action.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) which has 1,750 members decided on Saturday to defer industrial action after the Government said it would back consultants’ legal action against the British-based insurance firm, the Medical Defence Union (MDU).

But the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which has 680 consultant members, is unhappy with the Government’s guarantee and is going ahead with strike action from Monday, March 14.