Hospitals are to be hit by a wave of industrial action by hospital consultants from today. The action will begin with them withdrawing from administrative duties and culminate in three weeks' time with them withdrawing from providing all but emergency cover in all hospitals, both public and private.
Their action, which will also see them withdrawing from co-operating with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, is in protest at the introduction yesterday of a new way of insuring their practice.
The plan was endorsed by members of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association at an extraordinary general meeting in Dublin yesterday. It is the first time consultants have taken industrial action but they say they have been forced into it by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, who has introduced the new insurance scheme called enterprise liability without agreeing it with them.
Last night, Mr Martin said the consultants' plan was "a gross over-reaction and unacceptable for patient care".
The president of the IHCA, Dr Colm Quigley, said patient lives would not be put at risk by the actions of his 1,500 members, one third of whom attended yesterday's meeting. From February 23rd they will provide emergency services only in all hospitals. This means all planned surgery and outpatient appointments will be cancelled.
Dr Quigley said enterprise liability does not cover historic liabilities of consultants. One of the two bodies which insured them up to yesterday, the Medical Defence Union (MDU), has said it may not be able to meet all historic liabilities of members, particularly obstetricians.
The Department of Health is to meet the MDU again today to see if it can reach a solution. If no solution is reached, the Department has said it will back consultants who sue the MDU to try and force it to cover historic liabilities.
The first phase of the industrial action, beginning today, will see consultants withdrawing from committees, including those dealing with health service reform. The consultants will also involve the Health and Safety Authority when concerned about overcrowding. Then from next Monday they will withdraw from interview panels and management type roles. Meanwhile the IMO, which has about 650 consultant members, has called for a meeting with the National Implementation Body over the imposition of the new scheme, which they say is in breach of consultants' contracts and the industrial peace clause of Sustaining Progress. The IMO consultant committee also meets today to decide its strategy.
Historic liability at heart of consultants' stance: page 6