Consultants defer strike for seven days

Hospital consultants represented by the Irish Medical Organisation have deferred their planned strike action for seven days.

The doctors were planning to go on strike from next Monday due to a long-running dispute over insurance cover, but they decided to defer the action today to seek clarification of assurances received from the Minister for Health.

Mary Harney has promised that no consultant will be left without cover in all reasonable circumstances because of a row between the State and the British Medical Defence Union, which used to insure Irish consultants.

The MDU has withdrawn cover from several doctors facing negligence claims because of the Government's move to replace the company with a state-run insurance scheme.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association, which represents the majority of hospital doctors in Ireland, was also planning strike action because of the situation, but it cancelled its plans last week due to Ms Harney's assurance.