Legal threat abates as IMO decision deadline extended

A possibility of legal action against the Irish Medical Organisation abated yesterday after the Competition Authority granted the union more time to reverse its decision to withdraw some GP services in response to proposed fee cuts.

Last Wednesday the IMO announced its GP members were withdrawing from pro bono work carried out on behalf of medical card patients, including the taking of routine blood tests, monitoring of patients on warfarin, and blood pressure monitoring.

The union, which represents about 2,000 GPs, also announced the withdrawal of members from primary care teams, community intervention teams, and clinical care chronic disease programmes such as the national diabetes programme.