Consultants to enter work talks

Hospital consultants are to enter talks on work practice reforms and flexibilities with a deadline of Sunday night for completion of the process.

The talks on the reforms, which management wants to introduce under the Croke Park agreement, will commence at the Labour Relations Commission this evening.

There had been strong anger at Government level over the failure of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association to take part in talks which were scheduled to get under way at the Labour Relations Commission today.

Yesterday, Minister for Health Dr James Reilly said he was losing patience “big time” with the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association over its stance on the talks.

This morning senior figures in the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association were invited to a meeting with the secretary general of the Department of Health, Ambrose McLoughlin, and Tony O’Brien, the new director general designate of the HSE.

Informed sources said the concern of the Government on the delay in commencement of the talks was made clear to consultants’ representative organisation.

If there is no agreement at the Labour Relations Commission, the issue can be referred to the Labour Court for a binding recommendation.

Dr Reilly welcomed the breakthrough on the new talks. He stressed “the importance of all sides trying to reach agreement by the deadline of Sunday night in the best interests of patients, in the best interests of the health services and in the best interests of the country”.