IMO to Meet with Minister for Health on Friday Regarding Consultant Contract Proposal

• Preparations for industrial action by Consultants and NCHDs continuing
• IMO needs to see Government make ‘serious attempt to urgently solve Consultant crisis through negotiation’

Wednesday, January 8th, 2020. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has confirmed that it will meet Minister for Health Simon Harris TD this Friday (January 10th) to discuss the Government’s proposals on a new Consultant contract.

Speaking today, Dr. Matthew Sadlier, former President of the IMO and a member of its Consultant Committee, said: “It is unfortunate that it takes a ballot for industrial action by doctors to get the Government to react but we now need to see they are serious about entering talks to resolve the Consultant recruitment crisis.” 

In the meantime, the Consultant and Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) committees of the IMO will continue their preparations for industrial action, scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

Dr. Sadlier continued: “We need real action not just electioneering talk, and the IMO will continue with our strike plans unless the Minister comes up with a serious attempt to urgently address the Consultant crisis while also ensuring patients are properly cared for and all doctors are fairly treated with adequate supports and proper resources. We cannot afford to wait while patients are put at risk.

“In reality, this meeting can’t come soon enough given the record-breaking numbers of patients waiting for hospital beds and the fact that 540 Consultant posts lie empty around the country. 

“The roots of the Consultant crisis stem from a unilateral decision by a Fine Gael-led Government in 2012 to slash pay for new Consultants based solely on when they were appointed. That decision led directly to the current waiting list crisis because it has caused a major shortage of desperately needed Consultants, our senior doctors,  to see and treat patients. 

“It is imperative that we resolve this Consultant crisis and quickly agree a meaningful deal so that patients can get the care they deserve and the pressure on our hospitals is eased. We hope that the Minister is ready to negotiate in a serious way in order to resolve this crisis because otherwise we are ready to proceed with industrial action.”