The president of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), Dr Paula Gilvarry, said she believes there are serious faults in the running of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and in its relationship with the Department of Health.
Dr Gilvarry said there was a major lack of communication between the HSE and the Department and that the system was snowed under with paper and bureaucracy.
She also said involvement by clinicians in decision making in the health service was not sufficient and that more communication was needed between clinicians and management.
She was speaking on RTE's This Weekprogramme on the issue of the Portlaoise cancer crisis.
It was reported separately today that up to 15 people may have been wrongly given the all-clear for cancer at Cork University Hospital.
It was reported that an internal inquiry was set up two months ago into the issue. The Sunday Independentsaid a review of 166 cases found that 15 people were wrongly cleared of cancer even though their pathology samples showed signs of malignancy.
The newspaper said the details were only given to Minister for Health Mary Harney on Friday.
Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly expressed concern at the reports and he called on the HSE to clarify them.
The Labour Party and Fine Gael have tabled motions of no confidence in the Minister to be debated in the Dáil next week.