AGM 2019

NATIONAL CONSULTANT MEETING

AGENDA AND MOTIONS

SATURDAY 27^th APRIL

 

AGENDA:

9am – 11am    Consultant Meeting Motions

11am – 12pm Joint Consultant and NCHD Meeting on New Entrant Issues #FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS

 

CONSULTANT MEETING MOTIONS

1. The IMO Consultant Committee notes the wholly unsatisfactory situation of over one hundred and fifty doctors holding Consultant posts while simultaneously not holding specialist registration with the Irish Medical Council. While the contribution of these doctors requires that health service management make every effort to regularise their position, it is imperative that only those holding specialist registration be appointed to Consultant posts in the future.

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO Consultant Committee notes the wholly unsatisfactory situation of over one hundred and fifty doctors holding Consultant posts while simultaneously not holding specialist registration with the Irish Medical Council. While the contribution of these doctors requires that health service management make every effort in assisting those doctors in regularising their position, it is imperative that only those holding specialist registration be appointed to Consultant posts in the future.

 

2. The IMO Consultant Committee notes the ongoing difficulties experienced in recruiting Consultants into posts with the Children’s Hospital Group. The Committee calls on the Children’s Hospital Group to ensure that Consultants appointed to the base hospital and satellite centres are treated fairly and given the standard Consultant contract.

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Status: Carried

3. The IMO Consultant Committee notes the failure of the HSE to meet many of the deadlines set out in the High Court Settlement Agreement that brought to an end the long running refusal of health service management to honour pay rates as per the 2008 Contract. The Committee calls on the HSE to ensure that there be no further instances of deadlines being missed in the ongoing implementation of this Settlement Agreement.

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO Consultant Committee asks that the HSE fulfil the terms of the High Court Settlement Agreement and notes the failure of the HSE to meet many of the deadlines set out in the High Court Settlement Agreement that brought to an end the long running refusal of health service management to honour pay rates as per the 2008 Contract. The Committee calls on the HSE to ensure that there be no further instances of deadlines being missed in the ongoing implementation of this Settlement Agreement.

4. The IMO Consultant Committee notes that under the terms of the High Court Settlement Agreement, Consultants agreed to forego almost half of the unpaid remuneration that was owed to them. This represents a considerable saving for the Exchequer and the Committee calls on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to reinvest the saving in ensuring that pay parity is achieved for Consultants and, as a consequence, patients receive rapid and high quality care.

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO Consultant Committee notes that under the terms of the High Court Settlement Agreement, Consultants agreed to forego almost half of the unpaid remuneration that was owed to them. This represents a considerable saving for the Exchequer and the Committee calls on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to reinvest the saving in ensuring that pay parity is achieved for Consultants appointed after October 2012 and, as a consequence, patients receive rapid and high quality care.

5. The IMO Consultant Committee reiterates its view that 2,500 additional beds by 2030 is unlikely to meet the needs of our growing and aging population. The Committee therefore calls on the Government to aim for a target of 7,000 additional beds within the same timeframe, with appropriate increases in staffing.

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO Consultant Committee reiterates its view that 2,500 additional acute hospital beds by 2030 is unlikely to meet the needs of our growing and aging population. The Committee therefore calls on the Government to aim for a target of 7,000 additional acute hospital beds within the same timeframe, with appropriate increases in staffing.

 

6. The IMO Consultant Committee notes that very many Consultants working in the public health service experience difficulties in having their basic contractual rights upheld. In the context of our Consultant recruitment crisis, the Committee calls on the HSE, to commit to honouring contractual terms

Proposer: Consultant Committee

Status: Carried

7. This meeting calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to undertake a needs capacity and benefit assessment for the introduction of a publicly funded employed consultant service in Sport and Exercise Medicine.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                          Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

8. This meeting calls on the Mental Health Commission and HIQA to ensure that, where relevant, national Government policies such as spending and pay policies are cited as causative when services are unable to meet required standards.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                  Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Carried

9. This meeting urgently calls for Government intervention on the costs of medical indemnity for consultants in Ireland which if it continues to rise unchecked will result in patients having to travel overseas to receive treatment in a timely fashion.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                          Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

10. This meeting calls for Tort Reform with respect to medical negligence to avoid situations which have happened in other jurisdictions where patients have difficulty accessing services.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                          Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

 

JOINT CONSUTLANT AND NCHD MEETING MOTION

#Fight for Fairness

The IMO call on the Government to immediately enter into negotiations, as recommended by the Pay Commission, to address the inequitable and blatant discrimination in consultant pay for those consultants appointed post October 2012.  The current pay policy is having very damaging effects on our health services including:

• Inability to recruit consultants to our public hospitals with over 500 vacancies currently
• Increased waiting times for patients
• Compromising safe and optimal patient care
• NCHDs and Consultants leaving Ireland and choosing to work in health systems abroad where there is no pay discrimination

Proposer: IMO Consultant Committee and IMO NCHD Committee