IMO ballot rejects new Public Service Pay Agreement

Members of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) who work in the public health services including Consultants, Non Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs), Public Health Doctors and Community Health Doctors have voted overwhelmingly (95%) to reject the new Public Service Agreement - Building Momentum. The Council of the IMO had recommended to members that they reject the agreement.

It is the view of the IMO that the proposed agreement does not recognise the new health service realities brought about by the Covid 19 pandemic. Nor does it address the long standing grievances of doctors working in the public health services.

Explaining the vote to reject the agreement, Dr. Paddy Hillery, Chairman of the NCHD Committee said;. “Our members are exhausted, stressed and angry. This agreement doesn’t live up to the challenge of this moment and our members can’t support it.”

Speaking today Dr Clive Kilgallen, Chair of the Consultant Committee said “Since the extraordinary failed policy of 2012 which imposed swingeing and unique salary cuts on Consultants, we have had huge difficulties in recruiting and retaining consultants and this had led directly to long waiting lists for both in-patient and outpatient care, which now include over two hundred and seventy thousand patients who have been languishing on a waiting list to see a Consultant for over twelve months.. As consultant vacancies increase patients will continue to suffer unacceptably long delays in accessing care. Successive Governments have refused to deal with the issue despite promising to do so.”

Dr Ina Kelly, Chair of the Public Health Committee noted that “we can’t support a pay deal which does nothing to address our fundamental problems. Consultant level doctors in Public Health Medicine have been ignored and disrespected for over 20 years and despite the recommendations of numerous Government commissioned reports we are still not acknowledged and employed as consultants. The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed the cost to society of not resourcing a consultant-provided public health medicine service. Our members can no longer accept a mixture of piecemeal measures and forgotten reports.”

Dr Paddy Hillery, Chair of NCHD Committee said “NCHDs are working excessive, illegal, and unreported hours. It is simply not sustainable and we must send a clear message to Government that it is beyond time to face up to the failed policies of the past.”