News

Responding to the Taoiseach"s call today for Hospital Consultants to work with him in tackling the problems of the Irish health services, Secretary General of the IHCA, Finbarr Fitzpatrick, said that they were more than willing to co-operate with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health & Children in shaping the future of the health services in Ireland. But a number of issues must first be resolved in the immediate future, he added.  He said that these included protecting consultants in respect of historic insurance claims and concluding negotiations on the package involving the state scheme to insure consultants. " Once that"s out of the way we are happy to deal with the institutional issues ", he added. However, Mr. Fitzpatrick concluded, the core problems in the Irish Health Services were issues of capacity and resources, especially delivering on the commitments in the National Health Strategy including the provision of 3000 extra hospital beds.  Further Information: Finbarr Fitzpatrick Secretary General  

IHCA met with MPS on 19th FebruaryMPS met with Minister on 19th February MPS anxious that its members are not disadvantaged in historic liabilities resolution IHCA met MDU on 23rd FebruaryMDU met with Secretary General of the Department on 23rd February Confidentiality agreement in place with DoHC Actuarial and due diligence not a problem for MDU Formula agreed regarding use of discretion into the future

  The National Council of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) decided at an emergency meeting this evening, to accede to the request of the Minister for Health & Children and defer the curtailment of services scheduled to commence next Monday. It was also agreed to defer stages two and three of the campaign*.The deferral is for a period of four weeks. Representatives of the Association were invited to meet Minister Martin earlier this afternoon to receive an update on the Departments negotiations with the Medical Defence Union (MDU). Dr Colm Quigley, President of the IHCA said:" In recognition of the real and substantial progress made during the past two weeks and in view of the Ministers assurances, the National Council has decided, following a 90 minute meeting, to defer action for four weeks". The Department of Health proposed a progress review should take place in two weeks time. It is predicted that the process as a whole should be completed in four weeks.

Click here to download file

Click here to download file

12th February National Circular available for members in Newsletter section

      85% of Hospital Consultants Support Industrial Action in Historic Vote  Wednesday, 11th of February: Members of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of industrial action. The 85% vote in support will see a curtailment of consultant work schedules in hospitals from Monday next. This is the first time the organisation, which represents 1450 consultants, has ever voted for industrial action. Under the plan of action, from Monday next ( Feb.16th ), work for the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be suspended in hospitals. The final phase of action will begin on Monday the 23rd of February, when emergency services only will be undertaken by consultants in Hospitals. Over 70% of admission cases are emergencies; in this context, continuing care and care of urgent patients will be provided as normal.  The dispute centres on the Department of Health & Children’s failure to reach agreement to safeguard insurance cover for both patients and obstetricians. The failure to resolve this issue means that patients seeking to take a case against consultants for procedures undertaken in the past are unlikely to receive  full financial settlement and consultants involved in such claims could face financial ruin.   Dr Colm Quigley, President of the IHCA, commenting on the results of the ballot said: “ The 85% support for the vote and the exceptionally high response rate, indicate how concerned consultants are.

Consultants in General Hospitals not being Consultant Psychiatrists - 2 VacanciesCandidates:Blunnie, William (Mater Hospital)Cunningham, Anthony (Beaumont Hospital)Egan, Jim (Mater Hospital)Healy, Brendan (Sligo General Hospital)Lennon, Finbarr (Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital ,Drogheda)Maha Lingam, K (Cork University Hospital)Manning, Patrick (Bon Secours Hospital, Glasnevin)McGuinness, Eamonn (St James"s & Coombe Hospitals)McMurray, Noel (Cavan General Hospital)Pidgeon, Christopher (Beaumont Hospital)Quigley, Colm (Wexford General Hospital)Sugrue, Declan (Mater Hospital)Warde, Barry (Portlaoise General Hospital)Consultant Psychiatrist - 1 VacancyCandidate:Corrigan, Geraldine ( Letterkenny General Hospital) Please consider these candidates when exercising your ballot

See Press Release rejecting the Minister"s accusations on the Cavan Hospital Inquiry

  STATEMENT ON CAVAN HOSPITAL INQUIRYThe IHCA categorically rejects the suggestion by the Minister for Health & Children, Micheal Martin, that the Association was unwilling to submit a list of names of nominees to act on his committee.The failure of the Minister to satisfactorily establish his committee can be found in the hamfisted way in which the Department set about the task. It failed to· make appropriate arrangements for locum cover so that patients would not be disadvantaged· ensure that everybody sitting on the Committee would be indemnified against any possible legal action· provide detailed terms of reference and rules under which the committee would operate.The IHCA submitted two lists of nominees which enabled the Minister make two furtive attempts to commence the process.The Department was advised last Friday that the Association, notwithstanding the many difficulties posed by the Department"s handling of the matter, would be in a position to submit four further names on last Monday, 2nd inst. Clarification on the Minister"s intentions was sought in light of High Court proceedings which were taken this week by one of the surgeons under investigation. No response has been received.It ill behoves this Minister to seek to distract attention from his own failings by blaming others.