The industrial action by non-consultant hospital doctors in Waterford and Tullamore over rosters is "disproportionate" to the issues involved, the Minister of Health said this afternoon.
Calling for an immediate end to the industrial action in the interests of patient care, Mr Micheál Martin said he had asked the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to reconvene. He added that the Health Service Employers Agency was willing to participate.
He argued the action was unacceptable in the context of the NCHD (non-consultant hospital doctors) Agreement with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in 2000. This increased the number of junior doctors to 3,800 and led to a reduction in their hours.
An estimated 1,000 patients face cancellations of out-patient appointments and planned surgery with LRC chief executive Mr Kieran Mulvey warning the dispute could spread by the end of the month.
IMO members are being balloted on a nationwide strike because they maintain the new rosters will mean less training for junior doctors. The result will be known on August 23rd.
Mr Martin said he found "unbelievable" the action being taken at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. Non-emergency operations at the hospital have been cancelled for three days in the dispute over rosters.
He said formal training sessions were built into the new rosters and had been agreed locally but were then rejected by the IMO.
But IMO president Dr Kate Ganter said the "attempt by some hospitals to unilaterally change, without agreement, the historical working arrangements for non consultant hospital doctors is unacceptable".
According to the IMO, it was implicitly stated by Mr Martin last year that the Task Force on Medical Staffing would oversee the reduction in NCHD hours. Some hospitals are now breaching that commitment by the Department of Health & Children, the IMO claims.
Non-emergency services at Waterford will be postponed today, affecting 160 outpatient visits and 21 non-emergency theatre procedures The dispute centres on the introduction of the new rosters for 130 non-consultant hospital doctors.
The Health Service Employers Agency (HSEA) claims the doctors' action is an attempt to protect their considerable overtime earnings. The HSEA insisted it was obliged under EU law to reduce the doctors' working hours.