The long-running row over hospital consultants’ contracts appears to have been settled after consultants voted in favour of agreeing a new deal.
After four years of stop-start negotiations, the Irish Hospitals Consultants’ Association (IHCA) has accepted changes to working arrangements and secured better pay.
A total of 1,854 members were eligible to vote. There were 1,279 (69 per cent) ballots returned by 4pm, and 1,018 (80 per cent) voted to accept, and 261 (20 per cent) voted to reject the revised terms.
The IHCA's National Council is to consider the outcome of the ballot tomorrow morning.
A solution now depends on agreement from the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which represents a fifth of the country’s consultants. The IMO will meet next week to consider its position.
Welcoming the move, Minister for Health Mary Harney said the new contract “allows management and clinicians to work together in new ways to serve patients better. In particular it invites clinical leadership for health reform".
"This is the largest redesign of the consultants’ contract for 30 years. After years of negotiation, it is vital now that this contract is implemented progressively and quickly from September 1st across our health services and that patients see the benefits in tangible ways," the Minister said.
Negotiations on the long-awaited deal have been running for the last four years and were continually dogged by rows over salaries, pensions and shift work. The basic salary on offer is €240,000 a year.
Agreement in principle was announced by Health Minister Mary Harney back in January, but since then there have been major difficulties in finalising the agreement.
The new deal will mean longer working hours, including weekends; consultants joining forces in teams to deal with high numbers of patients; and some restrictions on private practice.
More than 600 consultants who have private patients outside their main public hospitals will be allowed to retain those rights under the new contract. However, private practice in public hospitals will be restricted.
Higher salaries are on offer for doctors who choose to work solely in the public sector. The IHCA represents about 80 per cent of practising consultants.
HSE chief Prof Brendan Drumm said the new contract would act as an “important catalyst” for modernising the State’s public health service.
“I also believe it is a positive platform from which consultants can become more actively involved in leading and influencing the direction of public health services".
The HSE also welcomed the decision of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association and Siptu to accept the LRC proposals and to suspend their industrial action.
Additional Reporting PA