The body representing around 1,800 hospital consultants today refused to back new proposals for its members’ contracts.
The national council of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said it recognised significant progress has been made on the long-running issue but that clarification on the Helath Service Executive's proposals was still needed.
Dr David O'Keeffe, IHCA president, said: "There is still work to be done before these proposals can be put to a ballot of our members. Two months have elapsed since agreement in principle was reached."
The Irish Medical Organsiation, which represents around 800 consultants regards the HSE proposal as a draft which requires furhter consultation.
The HSE document removes reference to consultants being rostered to work any five days in a week but continues to insist they be rostered from 8am to 8pm daily and be on site at weekends. It proposes a pay scale up to €240,000 per year.
It also says consultants with contracts entitling them to practise privately in public hospitals will not be allowed to spend more than 20 per cent of their time on this work.
Negotiations on the renewed contract began four years ago and Minister for Health Mary Harney announced in last January that a deal had been achieved.
The changes are part of a plan to replace the "consultant-led" hospital service with a "consultant-provided" service. This is regarded as central to creating more efficient practices leading to patients being treated faster, seeing a consultant on their first visit to hospital and being discharged quicker
Ms Harney says the overall plan which provides for 2,000 extra consultants will "fundamentally alter the health service".