No agreement between GPs and HSE over flu vaccine

NO agreement has been reached between family doctors and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to administer the swine flu vaccine despite HSE plans to commence the vaccination programme in two weeks.

Yesterday, the HSE agreed to meet next Wednesday with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) after the union claimed a wide range of issues – including who would be held responsible in the event of a patient suffering an adverse reaction to the vaccine – had yet to be discussed.

Dr Ronan Boland, spokesman for the IMO GP committee, said the union had had “no discussion whatsoever with the HSE in relation to their [vaccination] plans” since both sides last met on July 22.