Hospital consultants are doing the Irish people a disservice by refusing to take part in talks aimed at negotiating a new contract, the chairperson of the Dáil committee on Health and Children said yesterday.
Mr Batt O'Keeffe said he was considering inviting the consultant representative bodies, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), before his committee.
The IHCA and IMO have pulled out of talks, due to begin today, because of plans by the Department of Health to introduce a new way of insuring the medical practice of consultants from next Sunday. This is known as enterprise liability.
"Consultants are doing the Irish people a total disservice by refusing to take part in talks ... The reform of the health service depends on their agreement," Mr O'Keeffe said, accusing consultants of "holding the country to ransom".
The consultants are concerned that historic liabilities will not be covered once they join the new scheme. They are now considering what action to take after Sunday. An application for a court injunction to block the scheme may be made.
