Junior doctors shift the blame to the HSE ahead of strike action

Junior doctors have said the HSE was not willing to commit to concrete proposals to avert strike action.

The IMO said the non-consultant hospital doctors will engage strike action next Tuesday - after talks between the two sides over excessive working hours.

It wants the Health Service to threaten sanctions against hospitals which allow junior doctors to work up to 30 hours per shift and as much as 100 hours per week.

IMO's Industrial Relations Director Eric Young said this time strike action will not be postponed.

"We have been going back and forth and they haven't shown the commitment to address the issue," he said.

"Unfortunately we are now in the situation where we have to take industrial action and hopefully we will talk to them after that and see if they have changed their mind or found some way of addressing our concerns."