The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) is to encourage its members to reject the new Croke Park agreement in a forthcoming ballot. Its policy-making council yesterday backed the decision of its negotiators to walk out of the talks process.

Separately yesterday, senior Government sources argued that the proposed new deal was “ fair and balanced”.

Government sources said the substance of various letters of clarification arising from the deal that have emerged in recent days had been agreed before the conclusion of the negotiations.

The purpose of the letters was “to clarify issues at a level of detail not appropriate for the draft agreement”.

The IMO, which represents consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors and public health doctors, said its council had agreed unanimously to recommend that members vote against the new proposals.

IMO director of industrial relations Steve Tweed said: “Our opposition to these proposals is based first and foremost on the risk we believe these proposals pose to patient safety and care.”

Working week

He said the HSE had acknowledged that under the proposals non-consultant hospital doctors, who already worked illegal levels of hours, would see their working week extended.

Mr Tweed suggested that a doctor in a senior house officer II post in a medical speciality, who had a basic salary of €41,000 and an average working week of 55 hours, would face a 14 per cent cut in their gross pay under the current Croke Park proposals.