Hospital consultants call off industrial action

HOSPITAL consultants have called off next week's planned industrial action following a plea for peace talks with the Health Minister Mícheál Martin.

The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) said last night it had made significant progress in the bitter row with the Department over an insurance malpractice scheme.

The IHCA declined to go into detail regarding last night's development, but spokesman Dr Colm Quigley said clear progress had been made and the consultants opted to accede to the minister's request to continue discussions in a bid to resolve differences.