Hospital Consultants willing to work with Government in tackling health problems

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