Hospital consultants are "exceedingly angry" at a Government decision to sign a statutory order giving effect to controversial new medical liability insurance arrangements.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association had called a meeting in Dublin tomorrow to vote on Department of Health proposals to change the method by which doctors are indemnified against clinical errors.
Until now, consultants have paid a premium to medical defence bodies - the Medical Defence Union and the Medical Protection Society - in return for insurance against malpractice claims.
The new "enterprise liability scheme" means the State will indemnify consultants and hospitals as a single entity.
However, as currently proposed it will not apply to consultants in private practice, who will now face considerable difficulty in paying for malpractice insurance.
Some may have difficulty in continuing to work in private practice.
The IHCA last night accused the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, of a major breach of faith and a breach of contract following his decision to bring the order for the scheme's introduction to Cabinet. The order came into operation on Tuesday.
"The association had a clear understanding from the Minister and his officials that no formal steps to introduce the new scheme would take place before a well-flagged meeting tomorrow," its president Dr Colm Quigley said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Martin said: "The Minister is committed to continuing discussions with the IHCA in relation to the particular concerns they have with historic liabilities and private practice."