IMO membership agree to back ballot on industrial action for public health doctors

There are only 60 public health doctors involved in the issue. Picture: Pexels

The entire 6,000-strong membership of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has agreed to back a decision by public health doctors to ballot on industrial action. 

The show of support was agreed to at the organisation's virtual AGM after “deeply disappointing” talks with health chiefs about consultancy contracts and status ended in acrimony.

They met health chiefs today for a “preliminary meeting” about the contracts - which public health doctors have been asking for 18 years - and “substantive negotiations” are supposed to begin Wednesday, November 4.

“This Government praises public health doctors out of one side of their mouths while dismissing their just demand for consultant contract out of the other,” the IMO said.

The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role which our Public Health colleagues play in our health service.

Their demand for a consultant contract is just and urgent and all doctors support them in their campaign to secure it.”.

The President of the IMO, Dr. Padraig McGarry told the AGM that while only 60 public health doctors were involved in this issue, the entire 6,000 strong membership of the organisation supported their campaign;

A spokesperson said: “The AGM of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) voted tonight to support the move by Public Health specialists to ballot to allow industrial action up to and including strike action if the long promised grade of consultant is not awarded to 60 public health specialists.

“Public health doctors have previously warned they will ballot members on the issue if no progress is made. Ireland is an outlier in that it does not employ these doctors as consultants despite the fact that they are trained to and work at consultant level and are on the Medical Council register as specialists like all other consultant colleagues.

“In the midst of a global pandemic the Government is disrespecting our public health leaders and discouraging the next generation from working here even while other countries are trying to recruit them.

“This Government praises public health doctors out of one side of their mouths while dismissing their just demand for consultant contract out of the other."

Reacting to the announcement from the IMO, a spokesperson for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: "The Department and the HSE are finalising a proposal on consultant posts which they will submit to Department of Public Expenditure in mid-November."