THE IRISH Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) has deferred until the end of March a decision on whether to recommend a new contract for senior doctors to its members.
Association negotiators agreed a deal in principle with health service management a month ago which would see consultants paid up to €240,000 per year.
However, there have been delays in the production of a comprehensive document setting out all the areas of agreement.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the IHCA said that its national council and contract negotiating committee had considered a document presented by the HSE on Friday.
It described this document as "deficient in many areas" and said that it did not reflect the agreements reached last month.
"In the circumstances, the national council decided to reserve its position and awaits a further more comprehensive and accurate document from the HSE," it said.
The association's national council is to meet again in late March. IHCA secretary general Finbarr Fitzpatrick said yesterday the document had not recorded details like rest days, pension entitlements or continuing medical education leave which were issues raised regularly by doctors at meetings about the new contract. "We will be asked to recommend a package and when you do not have the full package it is better not to take a decision," he said.
The IHCA has said the momentum for the introduction of a new contract - which would lead to significant changes in the way consultants work in public hospitals - had ebbed away over recent weeks. This has been denied by health service management.
There has also been a dispute between medical organisations and management over the salary scale for academic consultants under a new deal. This was not addressed in the original January agreement.