Irish Medical Organisation abandons fee boycott

The Irish Medical Organisation has abandoned a call on doctors to boycott increased fees levied by the Medical Council.

The IMO had urged doctors not to pay a 13 per cent increase in the annual retention fee, but has withdrawn its campaign following talks with the council.

Doctors will now have to pay a fee of €605 this year, up from €535, an increase the union had earlier described as unjustified.

In the talks, the council agreed to freeze the fee at this year’s level until 2018, and no late fee will be imposed on registration payments made before July 13th.

The IMO has advised members they should pay the full fee in the normal manner.

A spokesman said measures had been agreed, which would ensure for the first time that doctors had their voices heard in future.

“We have been more than disappointed at the approach taken by the Medical Council, which has achieved little more than alienating doctors around the country who simply had no voice in discussions,” the union said in a communication to members.

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar was thrusting additional responsibilities on the council through new legislation but without providing funding or allowing the council to raise more revenue, he said.

The union had argued the retention fee increased by 23 per cent over the last three years, at a time when doctors’ earnings were cut during the economic downturn.

The council said it needed the extra revenue to fund an expanded role and had no other options for raising money.

Earlier this year, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) organised a successful campaign against moves by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland to increase its annual registration fee to €150.