The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has urged its members to carry out their normal duties as far as possible during the national strike across the public service tomorrow.
In a circular to members, the IHCA has said consultants carried ultimate responsibility for the management of their patients "and therefore they should not restrict their practice in any way on occasions of industrial action".
The IHCA also said it recognised that as a result of industrial action taken by other hospital staff that non-emergency work may be cancelled.
"While the association recognises the right of citizens to take industrial action, the primary obligation of consultants in legal and ethical terms is to place the treatment and welfare of patients first and before all," it said. "Therefore consultants are advised to carry out their normal duties in so far as may be possible during any industrial action which may take place over the coming weeks/months."
The Health Service Executive has warned that more than 16,000 patients with appointments and procedures scheduled for tomorrow face disruption as a result of the strike which is in protest at Government plans to cut pay.
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union today called on members in the local authorities and health services to work normally during tomorrow’s strike in the areas worst affected by floods, including Cork, Galway and Clare.