Hospital consultants criticise pay cuts for new entrants

Hospital consultants are angry at the revised terms to be offered to newly-appointed colleagues, including a unilateral 30% pay cut.

Consultants said last night that they will not issue a collective decision on the proposals, but that each member will decide individually whether to accept the new terms.

The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association also warned that the move will worsen poor recruitment levels and delay the implementation of acute care programmes.

However, Health Minister James Reilly insisted yesterday that he intends to press ahead with the change, and with work practice reforms recommended by the Labour Relations Commission.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that the Government must deliver on the planned reforms.

"There's a need for reforms on the frontline that is necessary in terms of rostering arrangements in terms of clinical leadership," he said.

"Now some of that's happened already in terms of multidisciplinary teams coming together, clinical governance within the health system.

"To be fair, some of that has happened, but more of it needs to happen for effective administration of our hospitals."