IMO: Proposals needed to halt health strike

The Irish Medical Organisation says meaningful talks will be required if the strike by public health doctors is to come to an end.

Three hundred doctors attached to health boards are in dispute over pay and conditions, with the organisation saying the health service is now "crisis-driven".

IMO chief executive George McNiece said: "The only thing that can stop the public health strike is if we get realistic proposals from the Department of Health and the health employment agency about full implementation of the Brennan report.

"This includes a proper salary review, all the service arrangements that need to be made, the new structures and a properly resourced out-of-hours system."