Hospital consultants - Association waging a war over posts

The second emergency general meeting of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association in four months was intended to indicate their concern about the crisis within the health system.

Around 450 consultants gathered yesterday to discuss their response to the Government’s decision to advertise new consultant posts.

The association broke off talks over this development last week.

In the wake of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, management’s room for manoeuvre would seem to be restricted, because he found that the consultants were essentially allowed to do as they please.

Yesterday, they passed a motion of no confidence in Health Minister Mary Harney. They have taken this hard-line approach with the near unanimous support of those in attendance.

The consultants have decided not to return to talks until they get an assurance that no new appointment will be made except under their existing contract, or a new agreed contract.

They have decided to withdraw immediately from hospital action committees, and they will afford no co-operation with any new consultants appointed outside the existing terms, or without their prior agreement.

Even though the public may consider them already pampered and overpaid, the consultants have essentially declared what amounts to industrial war.