Harney and hospital consultants set to clash

NEW Health Minister Mary Harney and hospital consultants seem set on a collision course following the Tánaiste’s insistence yesterday that their insurance problems will not be sorted out before a new contract is negotiated.

The hospital consultants want the State to step in and provide insurance cover for those consultants whose insurance was withdrawn by the Medical Defence Union (MDU) before they finalise a new contract on work practices.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said yesterday that they had agreement in principle from former Health Minister Micheál Martin that he would bring such a proposal to Cabinet before the reshuffle.

But Department officials have informed the IHCA that Ms Harney would not address their concerns for insurance indemnity until they agree to a deadline for completion of their new contract negotiations.

The Tánaiste confirmed this stance yesterday to reporters in Tullamore. “No deal will be reached on indemnity until a deal has been reached on a new contract - all the issues have to be discussed together,” she said.

While Ms Harney did not rule out the possibility of the State providing indemnity for consultants whose insurance cover has been removed, she made it quite clear the discussions on this issue will take place in conjunction with talks on a new contract for consultants.

Before addressing the Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery, the Tánaiste said she was anxious to press ahead with her health reforms, making the service consultant-led and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“You can’t deal with these matters in a piecemeal way, I would like to see all the issues discussed together in the context of the renegotiation of the contract - we need more consultants,” Ms Harney said.

She stressed that we need to know the terms under which those consultants would be employed and said the public wants the reforms implemented as quickly as possible.

But the hospital consultants said they were shocked with this change in policy within a week of the arrival of the new Health Minister. “We will not accept a gun being put to our heads like this,” IHCA secretary general Finbarr Fitzpatrick said.

The consultants will consider whether or not to take industrial action at their annual conference in Kilkenny this weekend.

“If we go ahead with this, hospital consultants will only deal with emergencies and continuing care while elective surgery will be cancelled,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

Ms Harney is likely to come face-to-face with the consultants sooner than many anticipated if she attends their annual conference at the weekend. She confirmed yesterday that she is trying to juggle her diary so she can attend it.