Consultants and HSE enter talks on reform plan

A stand-off between hospital consultants, the Department of Health, and the HSE over work practice reforms ended yesterday after agreement was reached to enter talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

On Wednesday, a vexed James Reilly warned that if consultants’ representatives failed to engage with the commission, he had “options” he would exercise.

Following that warning, a high-level meeting took place yesterday morning between representatives of the Irish Hospital Consultant Association (IHCA) and the secretary general of the Department of Health, Ambrose McLoughlin, and Tony O’Brien, the incoming HSE director general.

Sources close to the talks said it was “made clear at that meeting that there was a serious level of concern at government level about the need to get into talks”.

He said it was also made clear that if this engagement was not forthcoming, then the implementation body set up to drive the Croke Park public service agreement could become involved.

A deadline of Sunday night has been set for completing the talks. The Lab-our Court is the next step if no agreement is reached.

The IHCA, which represents most consultants, said it had only received clarification from the HSE on key facts on Wednesday after waiting a month, adding it was “prepared to stay in the LRC discussions for as long as necessary”.

A spokesman for the health minister said while some flexibilities had been achieved, they needed to be formalised including the provision by consultants of round-the-clock cover and the role of clinical directors. The creation of a new consultant grade is also up for discussion, as well as non-core pay including out-of-hours and on-call payments.

The Irish Medical Organisation, which also represents consultants, has already agreed to the talks.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time, Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said: “We need to fundamentally change how the health service is delivered and that is a very complic-ated process. We will need co-operation to do that.”

He said the Cabinet had set a new target for a reduction this year in the payment of allowances. He said the initial target of €75m would not be met but refused to disclose the new figure.

At last night’s IBEC president’s dinner Taoiseach Enda Kenny said ministers had decided that each department would specify the maximum pay and non-pay savings and reforms that should be pursued in each area of the public sector.