Public health doctors to ballot for strike action over pay

Public health doctors who are playing a central role in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic are to ballot for strike action over pay.

The decision to hold a ballot on November 16th for industrial action up to and including strike action was taken at a national meeting of public health specialists which was convened by the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) on Monday night.

The move follows what the IMO said was “a deeply disappointing” meeting with the Department of Health last week.

The IMO has been campaigning for some time for public health to become a consultant-led service and for public health specialists to be awarded consultant contracts “to reflect their expertise and specialist skills”.

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Public health specialists earn about €113,000 at present. Hospital consultants with a type-A contract — which permits them to treat only public patients — and have a pay scale that ranges from €141,026 to €195,653.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said he is committed to the establishment of a consultant-led public health model.

“The Department and the HSE are finalising a proposal on consultant posts which they will submit to Department of Public Expenditure in mid-November”, a spokeswoman said last week.

In September the Cabinet approved the introduction of new legislation which would allow the Government to increase pay for certain groups.

However sources said the doctors were told by the Department of Health last week that it was still working on a business case for the Department of Public Expenditure. Sources said no contract proposals for public health specialists were tabled.