Consultants: We have already taken a pay cut

CONSULTANTS insisted yesterday that they have already taken a salary cut of 15% and will not accept any further reduction until the rest of the public sector catches up with them.

President of the Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA), Dr Paul Oslizlok, said consultants had agreed to forego certain pay aspects of the new consultants’ contract because of the downturn in the economy.

“It has not been easy and it was not initially universally accepted but consultants were prepared to do that because they felt that, in addition to their role as advocates for patient care, they also had a role in terms of demonstrating what was to be required,” he said.