Doctors may ballot over on-call limit

Hospital doctors are considering industrial action over the HSE’s failure to introduce a maximum limit of 24 hours for on-call periods.

The HSE had set of a deadline of Jun 1 for introducing the limit in order to be compliant with the European Working Time Directive. The full implementation of that directive is not expected before the end of 2014, but the on-call periods were expected to be brought in much sooner.

In March, HSE chief operations officer Laverne McGuinness told the joint Oireachtas committee on health and children that there was a “particular focus” on ensuring no non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) had to work over 24 continuous hours on-site after Jun 1.

She said a “key” issue was the extent to which part of the NCHD workload could be more appropriately delivered by other staff.

“The HSE will be requiring hospitals to identify specific non-medical staff in each hospital to lead delivery of each of phlebotomy, cannulation, catheterisation services and transport of files /clinical materials,” she said.

That process has been advanced to the point where the Irish Medical Organisation, which represents the doctors, is working with management and nursing unions to see if those tasks could be given to nurses.

However, in the meantime, the Irish Medical Organisation says the deadline for the on-call limit which the HSE itself set, has not been met.

“Twenty-four-hour call is not the same as full [directive] compliance but is one of the interim deadlines for staged compliance and the date for implementation of same was set as Jun 1,” said IMO assistant director of industrial relations, Eric Young, in a message on the organisation’s website.

“The NCHD committee are meeting to decide upon the strategy and date with regard to potentially balloting NCHDs for industrial action on foot of the continued failure of the HSE to meet its own set deadlines.”

He said there was nothing in the Haddington Rd public pay agreement — if accepted — to prevent doctors taking action over the issue.

Last night the HSE said: “The HSE has established a national implementation group, chaired by Ian Carter, designate national director acute hospitals. This group has undertaken site visits to every hospital, progressed compliance with the 24-hour target. A key challenge are smaller numbers of doctors in small to medium size hospitals or in complex speciality settings. The group is expected to report in the coming weeks.”