Pregnant doctor is denied locum cover

PREGNANT junior hospital doctors due to take maternity leave are being refused locum cover in the latest fall-out from the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) staff recruitment ban.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) last night revealed that a doctor at Limerick Regional Hospital, due to go on maternity leave, had her request for cover turned down.

“We’ve made a number of representations on this woman’s behalf and they’ve refused to respond to any of our queries,” said IMO director of industrial relations Mr Hourihan.

At Cork University Hospital, the HSE yesterday said while all maternity leave had been covered to date, there were no guarantees for the future.

“In light of the current recruitment embargo all future applications for cover will have to be reviewed on an individual basis,” a HSE spokesperson said.

The IMO said there had been “a number of instances” where no locums had been used.

Mr Hourihan said they had “specifically asked for assurances” that pregnant doctors be exempted from long working days from week 20 of their pregnancy and from being on-call from week 24, and that if they chose to exempt themselves, that full locum cover be provided.

“We would urge any doctors who are refused leave or locum cover, or who are told to provide their own locum cover, to remind their employers of their contractual rights,” he said.

Meanwhile junior doctors at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin have warned they may begin industrial action if the hospital does not withdraw what they say are threats to restrict overtime pay for emergency cover. The hospital said it had not asked the doctors “to do any work not paid for” and that they would be paid for normal rostered hours, rostered overtime and up to 10 hours a week of unrostered work.

Mr Hourihan said by restricting overtime and not providing locums, hospitals were effectively compromising patient care.