There has been a breakthrough in the dispute between non-consultant hospital doctors in Waterford and Tullamore and the South-Eastern Health Board following intervention by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
Doctors have agreed to suspend their industrial action pending talks at the LRC which are set to begin on Monday.
The South Eastern Health board has confirmed all scheduled outpatient and theatre activity for Friday and Monday will now go ahead as planned.
Industrial action at the Midland General Hospital in Tullamore which was due to resume on Monday has also been suspended.
Following an LRC request this afternoon, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) agreed to suspend all industrial action for the period of the talks. The affected Health Service employers also suspended disputed rosters in Waterford and Tullamore Hospitals "without prejudice to the substantive issues in dispute between the parties".
The Commission has indicated that a period of a month will be necessary to complete the negotiations and has set a target date of Monday September 16th for their completion.
Earlier this week the IMO entered talks with the South-Eastern Health Board on. However, the talks broke down almost immediately over the issue of the suspension of rosters.
The rosters, introduced in a number of health board hospitals, mean that part of the basic working week of a non-consultant hospital doctor would take place outside the current basic hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
The IMO maintains this means doctors will miss out on training opportunities during busy daytime hours. The employers say the doctors are trying to protect their overtime payments.
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