Statement by Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) on decision of Minister Harris not to attend IHCA Annual Conference tomorrow

Deputy Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson, speaking at the IHCA Annual Conference, with (L to R): Mary Wilson, RTÉ (moderator); Deputy Stephen Donnelly, Fianna Fáil Health spokesperson; and Dr Donal O’Hanlon, IHCA President

The Minister’s private office formally confirmed earlier today that the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, will not be attending our annual conference.

The IHCA and the 3,100 hospital consultants which we represent are extremely disappointed at the decision by Minister Harris to withdraw from attending tomorrow’s conference.

As we head into the winter period, a time when our acute public hospitals are most stretched, and with one million patients now on waiting lists, one-in-five of all permanent consultant posts unfilled and over 100,000 patients treated on trolleys each year, the Minister’s address to our conference was expected to set out how he intends to begin to fix these huge issues for our patients.

It is regrettable that the Minister will now not attend and that this opportunity has been lost.

ENDS.