IMO Public Health Doctors confirm plans for a strike

The Public Health Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) met today to consider the overwhelming (94%) vote by Public Health doctors in favour of industrial  action in their fight for parity of esteem with other parts of the health service.  Currently regardless of qualifications, no public health specialist is recognised as a consultant despite meeting the same criteria as all other consultants appointed in the health service. 

The Committee decided to serve notice of Industrial Action on the HSE and the Department of Health saying that if there is no resolution to the issue the following action will commence:

Thursday 14^th January:          

One Day strike by Specialists in Public Health Medicine and SpRs in Public Health Medicine

Thursday 21^st and Friday 22^nd January:

Two Day strike by Specialists in Public Health Medicine and SpRs in Public Health Medicine

The Committee will consider further escalation of the action if matters remain unresolved.

Dr. Ina Kelly, Chair of the Public Health Committee of the IMO said: “as a doctor who has committed my career to public health and the improvement of health outcomes for the population I am deeply distressed that it has come to this.  It really is time for Government to step up to the plate and recognise their own ethical obligations and to honour agreements”.

Deep disappointment at lack of engagement and misleading comments by Government

The Committee expressed deep disappointment at the lack of concern which the Government has displayed about this issue and criticised the misleading commentary on the issue from Government. 

The Public Health Committee specifically state this is not simply about a pay claim but about recognising the importance of consultants leading multi disciplinary teams in a fully resourced public health service for Ireland.  While much focus has been on public health medicine as a result of COVID there are many important population health issues that are crucial for the country.  COVID has exposed the fragility of our public health departments. 

No meaningful engagement with Dept of Health in 5 months

Dr. Ina Kelly said;  “This weekend the Government attempted to confuse the issue.  We want to be clear we have had no meaningful engagement with the Department of Health in the last five months, no business plan has been discussed with us, no new contract has been agreed.  In fact, we are in a worse situation today than we were a year ago. During previous discussions in 2019 it was agreed between the Department and the IMO that the contract to be offered would be the current public only consultant contract.  Talk of Slaintecare Contracts is disingenuous in the extreme considering such contracts do not exist and need to be agreed with the wider consultant body.  We are not looking for anything more than the current contractual terms which are being offered to any consultant being recruited.  It is all the more disappointing that we, as a specialty,  have gone above and beyond in terms of taking on additional duties, working onerous hours and doing everything possible within our very limited resources to manage the pandemic.”

Call on Government to honour commitments

Dr. Kelly queried the lack of urgency in the Department of Health on the issue. “The Minister and other Government representatives have called on us not to take industrial action during a pandemic – we call on them to take positive action on an issue which has a simple solution;  honour Government commitments and implement the recommendations of the Crowe Howarth report which were supposed to be implemented in July 2020 following many years of no progress”.

Issued on behalf of the IMO by Gordon MRM

imo@gordonmrm.ie