Senior management of the Health Service Executive (HSE) is expected to meet on Monday to decide whether the programme of cutbacks aimed at tackling a financial deficit of over €200 million is to continue.
Talks yesterday between HSE management and health sector unions on the cutbacks ended inconclusively.
A high-level group involving senior management and union leaders, however, will meet again on Monday.
The Irish Times understands that new HSE figures to be released next week will show that its financial deficit stood at €222 million at the end of August.
The figure for the end of July was €245 million.
Health unions representing about 100,000 staff have sought assurances that a temporary ban on recruitment, which was introduced by the HSE several weeks ago to deal with the financial deficit, would not be extended further.
As part of the cost-containment programme, promotions and acting-up agreements have been put on hold.
Health service unions were particularly angry that management had put the measures in place without consultation.
The unions maintained that this breached various partnership agreements.
The National Implementation Body, the main trouble-shooting mechanism under the social partnership process, last week criticised the HSE over the way the cutbacks were introduced.
Union sources said that yesterday's meeting with the HSE featured some sharp exchanges between the parties.
It is understood the management set out the personal accountability of chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm for the finances of the HSE.
Sources said that the unions argued that management had breached the terms of partnership agreements.
Impact national secretary Kevin Callinan said last night that management had been told in no uncertain terms of the effect the cutbacks would have on patient care.
Mr Callinan said the unions warned that if the partnership model was not pursued, then the traditional confrontational approach to industrial relations was inevitable.
Mr Callinan said that both sides had indicated that they were prepared to use the terms of the national agreement Towards 2016.
A joint statement issued following the meeting yesterday said that the HSE noted that the unions would continue with their current referral to the Labour Relations Commission regarding cost containment measures put in place in a number of hospitals.
"The health service unions acknowledge the financial and legal obligations of the HSE to operate within its budget under the Health Act of 2004 and related collective agreements", the statement added.
The joint statement said that both parties reaffirmed their support for the EU directive on information and consultation as it applied to the health service.