Consultants: HSE shortcomings may hinder June deadline

HOSPITAL consultants have warned that the June deadline set for finalising a consultants’ contract may be missed because crucial issues remain unresolved.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of letting the issue drift, making it unlikely that a deal could be struck any time soon.

The association has claimed the latest document supplied by the HSE was deficient in many areas and did not reflect agreements reached towards the end of last month.

The IHCA said it was reserving its position while it awaited a more comprehensive and accurate document from the HSE.

Last month, the IHCA accepted the heads of an agreement on significant issues, such as the appointment of clinical directors, the number of hours worked per week, changes in starting times and weekend working arrangements.

IHCA general secretary, Finbarr Fitzpatrick, said they were disappointed that the momentum appeared to have gone out of the HSE’s efforts to clinch a deal.

“Unless the HSE wakes up and addresses the problems that still exist there is a danger that the deadline of June 1 will be missed,” he warned.

The Irish Medical Organisation walked out of the talks last month and then re-entered them just before they concluded.

The IMO’s director of industrial relations, Fintan Hourihan, said it was clear from the draft documentation that health service employers were attempting to re-introduce proposals previously rejected by the organisation and omitting other areas where there was agreement.

“At this stage it seems unlikely that there will be any decision made in terms of a response to the employers ahead of our annual general meeting that takes place at the end of March,” he pointed out.

“Both the employers and the IHCA announced they had an agreement and there was no written document. It hardly comes as a surprise that this is the inevitable outcome,” he said.

“It is a matter of some urgency that a consolidated agreement is reached by all three parties because it is dragging on for far too long.”