Hospital consultants vote to re-enter talks with HSE

Hospital consultants have voted to re-enter talks with the Health Service Executive on a new contract.

The discussions have been deadlocked since February.

The decision to resume talks under an independent chairman has been made at the IHCAs annual conference in Mullingar.

They are expected to restart on October 16.

Secretary General of the ICHA Finbarr Fitzpatrick said that he hopes most of the negotiations can be completed between now and Christmas.