A legal challenge to the North Eastern Health Board's decision to suspend two consultants from their duties at Cavan General Hospital earlier this week is being considered.
The consultants, Dr William Joyce and Dr Pawan Rajpal, were suspended without pay for an indefinite period on Monday after what the health board called "an examination and consideration by the CEO of complaints/concerns raised by and regarding the consultant surgeons".
Inter-personal difficulties between the consultants were highlighted in May when the health board was informed by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland that its council was to cease recognition of five training posts in the surgery department at Cavan Hospital. A statement from the health board at the time said "inter-personal problems at the level of consultant surgeon in the unit were creating an environment that is not conducive to training".
Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, confirmed yesterday that a legal challenge to the suspension of the surgeons, both members of the IHCA, was being considered.
A health board spokeswoman said 17 patients due to have elective surgery at the hospital this week have had their operations postponed.
It was hoped locum cover for the suspended consultants could be found quickly, she added.
There is one other consultant surgeon at the hospital, which remains on call for surgical emergencies.
Neither Dr Joyce nor Dr Rajpal could be contacted yesterday.