Hospital consultants ‘heeded union warnings’

HOSPITAL consultants have largely heeded their unions’ warnings not to apply for the new posts advertised under an imposed work contract, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has claimed.

Responding to Health Minister Mary Harney’s revelation that a little more than 100 applications have been received for 68 consultant posts, the IMO said that, under normal circumstances, the figure would have been closer to 1,360 applications for the €205,000 plus posts.

“Under normal circumstances, each of those posts would have attracted between 15 and 20 applicants,” said Fintan Hourihan, IMO industrial relations chief. “I’m sure the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health must be concerned at such a low expression of interest. Obviously, doctors have taken heed of our warnings,” said Mr Hourihan.

The IMO described as “constructive” talks which took place yesterday between the union and Ms Harney. The meeting was instigated by Ms Harney in an effort to end a stalemate which began in April when talks on a new consultants’ contract broke down.

Mr Hourihan said he expected talks chairman Mark Connaughton SC to present a set of proposals designed to reignite the talks, by the end of this week or early next week.

After a Government-imposed deadline for concluding the talks was missed in April, the HSE went ahead and advertised the 68 new posts without having agreed a new contract, which would see some consultants would work exclusively in the public sector.

Mr Hourihan described last night’s meeting with Ms Harney as a “useful exchange”. The IMO will brief its consultant committee on Thursday. It has about 800 members. Also on Thursday, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is scheduled to meet Ms Harney.

Since the collapse of the talks, the IMO and IHCA have refused to assist in the interview process for new posts and have advised doctors in Ireland and abroad not to apply for the jobs.

At the weekend, the IHCA decided to suspend its minor campaign of action involving a boycott of some administrative duties and meetings with the HSE in order to create a constructive atmosphere for its meeting with Ms Harney.

Both unions are opposed to the filling of any of the 68 posts advertised without an agreed contract.

Yesterday Ms Harney, in an interview on RTÉ radio, said she believed the manner in which consultants are currently recruited “needs to be looked at”. She said in other countries you did not find “groups of colleagues” sitting down deciding who was right for the job. She said elsewhere, consultants were headhunted.