Doctors strike in absence of HSE sanction

Junior doctors will not call off tomorrow’s strike action unless the HSE details how it will “sanction” hospitals which force medics to work excessively long hours.

The Irish Medical Organisation gave the ultimatum amid HSE claims the industrial action — which is set to affect 15,000 patients — is “totally avoidable”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, HSE national director of human resources Barry O’Brien said management is still open to returning to Labour Relations Commission negotiations to prevent Tuesday’s strike action.

The senior official claimed only a small number of issues are preventing a deal on how to cut excessivejunior doctor working hours from being agreed by the IMO and HSE.

Mr O’Brien said there was no value in putting 15,000 patients at the centre of the dispute, which will see a nationwide strike by junior doctors tomorrow followed by rolling strikes at unnamed hospitals every week until the issue is resolved.

However, the IMO, which said a large number of issues remain unresolved, insisted the HSE has left it with no other option than to resort to the previously delayed industrial action due to its failure to “step up to the plate” on the matter.

“Ultimately, the HSE knows that in reality this problem will only be solved when they actually act, when they do something,” said IMO assistant director of industrial relations, Eric Young.

“We’ve asked them to do something about those hospitals who [sic] won’t implement the actions they committed to, and what we’re looking for is some form of sanction to make them do it,” he said.

An IMO statement described the HSE’s plan for sanctioning hospitals to date as “making a mockery of the commitment to reducing hours”. A spokesperson said the HSE has yet to sign up to regular health and safety audits of hospitals.

Under European Commission rules, no junior doctor can work more than 48 hours per week. Yet junior doctors here regularly work 24-hour shifts and up to 100 hours per week.