85% Vote in Favour of Industrial Action
- 85% of Hospital Consultants Support
Industrial Action in Historic Vote
Wednesday, 11th of February: Members of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of industrial action. The 85% vote in support will see a curtailment of consultant work schedules in hospitals from Monday next. This is the first time the organisation, which represents 1450 consultants, has ever voted for industrial action.
Under the plan of action, from Monday next ( Feb.16th ), work for the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be suspended in hospitals. The final phase of action will begin on Monday the 23rd of February, when emergency services only will be undertaken by consultants in Hospitals. Over 70% of admission cases are emergencies; in this context, continuing care and care of urgent patients will be provided as normal.
The dispute centres on the Department of Health & Children’s failure to reach agreement to safeguard insurance cover for both patients and obstetricians. The failure to resolve this issue means that patients seeking to take a case against consultants for procedures undertaken in the past are unlikely to receive full financial settlement and consultants involved in such claims could face financial ruin.
Dr Colm Quigley, President of the IHCA, commenting on the results of the ballot said: “ The 85% support for the vote and the exceptionally high response rate, indicate how concerned consultants are. We are now facing into industrial action for the first time in our history. This is not a strike. We will continue to carry out emergency procedures which make up the majority of consultants work. We will however be curtailing elective work from Monday.”
Dr Quigley concluded: “ We would urge the Department of Health & Children and the Medical Defence Union, who are meeting in London today, to resolve this issue in a manner that does not leave patients or consultants uninsured and undefended, and which also strictly limits the potential liability of the Irish taxpayer. We believe that such a settlement, with the MDU making a significant financial payment to a contingency fund, is possible.”