Consultants call for ‘meaningful’ talks over Sláintecare contract

Representative groups say a retired judge should chair talks on the deal, which doesn’t allow public service doctors to take on private work

Martin Varley, IHCA secretary general, said the IHCA had secured a commitment from the department for a more ‘substantive engagement’ on the terms of the contract. Picture: RollingNews.ie

A retired judge should be appointed to chair “meaningful” and “substantive” talks on the new Sláintecare consultant contract, a leading doctors group has proposed to the Department of Health.

The Irish Hospital Consultant Association (IHCA) circulated an internal memo to its members at the beginning of June outlining its “dissatisfaction” with the approach taken by the department to date.

The department had previously indicated that the new contract, due to be in force by this ...