Harney letter may avert industrial action by consultants

Planned industrial action by hospital consultants could reportedly be averted following a Cabinet decision taken yesterday.

The consultants were planning to withdraw from non-emergency duties next month in protest at a long-running dispute over their insurance cover.

The dispute has been simmering for a number of years and centres on the Government’s decision to introduce a state insurance scheme for hospital consultants.

The British company that used to cover the consultants, the Medical Defence Union, has since refused to pay compensation arising out of past negligence claims, despite the fact that it has received premiums from Irish doctors relating to this time.

Reports this morning said there were hopes that the planned industrial action would be cancelled after the Cabinet agreed to moves to alleviate the consultants’ concerns.

Ministers reportedly endorsed a letter from Health Minister Mary Harney to the consultants promising that the State would meet compensation pay-outs if the MDU refused to do so.

The promise came as the Irish Hospital Consultants Association was counting the votes in a ballot that overwhelmingly backed the planned industrial action.