Consultants vow to step up protest over insurance

Consultants vowed to step up their campaign of protest against the introduction of a new form of medical insurance today, after a ballot of union members overwhelmingly supported industrial action in hospitals across Ireland.

The senior doctors have already stopped all administrative duties and vowed not to co-operate with the Department of Health, while everything but emergency services will be withdrawn in less than two weeks if the dispute is not resolved.

They embarked on the first industrial action of its kind due to anger over the introduction of new medical insurance, known as enterprise liability, without their agreement.

Consultants are particularly concerned that the new insurance scheme does not cover them against claims concerning past mistakes for which a complaint has not yet been made.

Dr Colm Quigley, president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA), said his members regretted having to take action but they were left with no choice.

“This particular situation is unacceptable and over 85% have voted in support of curtailment of services,” he said.

“We are not going on strike, consultants will not walk away from their ethical duties to provide emergency cover and continuing care for patients.

“But we find ourselves in a very difficult and unprecedented situation and the ballot has confirmed that this is an unprecedented response to a situation provoked by the minister’s action.”

Dr Quigley said consultants would withdraw from any further work involving the National Treatment Purchase fund, which aims to tackle long-term surgical waiting lists, from next Monday.

“And on the following Monday, February 23, if this isn’t resolved, we will be forced to provide emergency cover only, which is continuing care and care of urgent patients which will continue as normal but we will not be doing routine out-patients at any hospitals in the country and routine surgery will be suspended as well,” he said.

“We feel very sorry and angry that this is happening.”

Health Minister Micheál Martin said the cost of obtaining continuing insurance cover from the Medical Defence Union could rise to €400m.

However, he said talks with the body were continuing and the consultants’ action was undermining the Government’s negotiations with it.

“My problem with the Irish Hospital Consultants Association stance on this is that first of all they will affect patients if they take the industrial action that they are going to take,” he said.

“The National Treatment Purchase Fund deals with the public patients who are longest on waiting lists.”

The IHCA, which represents 85% of consultants in the country, began action last week when they stopped participating in contract negotiations.