Majority of consultants in favour of reforms
The association had boycotted the Labour Court process and did not engage with the proposals tabled by the Labour Relations Commission on reforming work practices under the Croke Park Agreement.
However, a survey conducted by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) found that 57% of consultants were in favour of the reforms.
The association informed of HSE of the result of its survey yesterday and has looked for a meeting to discuss the issue.
The association said it did not believe it could re-engage with the Labour Court on foot of the results because the relevant hearings have already been held.
During the dispute the HSE had threatened to remove pay protections built into the Croke Park Agreement if consultants did not cooperate with the implementation of a programme of changes that are scheduled to take effect next Monday.
IHCA general secretary Michael Varley said the council recommended that its members would engage in a collaborative approach with the HSE.
The association said its members still had separate concerns and it looked for a meeting with the director general designate of the HSE, Tony O’Brien, to discuss these outstanding concerns. These include: the insufficient number of consultants working in the system; the implications the new roster arrangements will have on European-wide limits on working hours; and the lack of resources for front line and acute services.
However the concerns listed in the IHCA statement last night were not the issues considered by the Labour Court.
These proposals included the fees paid for second opinions in psychiatric cases and strategies to reduce the entitlement of some consultants to build up historic rest days towards the end of their career.
The IHCA said the results of its survey did not constitute a ballot as its members opposed the principal of collective bargaining.
Its statement said the HSE accepted that each consultant holds its own legally binding contract of employment.
Fianna Fail’s health spokesman Billy Kelleher said the support of the majority of consultants was welcome but the sizeable dissenting minority showed that Health Minister James Reilly had failed to show leadership.
“This is clearly evidenced with almost 40% of IHCA members not supporting reforms agreed at the LRC. I believe all consultants should embrace major reforms to their work practices but it is clear that Minister Reilly totally oversold the LRC agreement to distract attention from the dysfunction that he has created within his department,” he said.
Mr Reilly did not comment on the survey results as the Labour Court decision had yet to be delivered.
