I have two private notice questions, one in the name of Deputy Molloy and the other in the names of Deputies Bernard Allen and Mary Flaherty. I call on Deputy Molloy to put his question.
Private Notice Questions. - Hospital Doctors Dispute.
asked the Minister for Health if he will take immediate steps to seek a settlement in the junior hospital doctors' dispute; and if he will outline arrangements to deal with emergency and acute cases in the event of the junior hospital doctors withdrawing their services from next Saturday.
asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he is taking to avert the national strike of non-consultant hospital doctors due to commence on 6 June in view of the catastrophic effect the strike will have on a health service that is already in deep crisis.
I held discussions recently with the Irish Medical Organisation and one of the items discussed was the proposed industrial action by non-consultant doctors. As a result of that meeting I arranged for discussions to be held at local hospital level involving management and medical staff, particularly non-consultant hospital doctors, and I understand that as a result of these meetings a satisfactory conclusion had been reached in many hospitals.
This afternoon officials from my Department met the Irish Medical Organisation to discuss the matter and I would hope there is still time for a reconsideration by the non-consultant hospital doctors, particularly as it seems that they are taking the unprecedented step of providing no emergency cover.
I would like to state that as one of the "caring" professions I am disturbed that the non-consultant hospital doctors will not be providing emergency services should they proceed with their action. In the event of the action going ahead arrangements are being made to ensure that adequate emergency services are provided and that patients' lives will not be put at risk.
I would be happier if the Minister had informed us what the arrangements were as it seems that there will be extreme difficulty. Will the Minister agree with me that if junior doctors withdraw their services there will be an immediate and urgent crisis in the health services across the country because of the unique position the junior doctors are in, in that they are the doctors in the very front line dealing with emergency cases and continuing urgent cases at hospital level? Would the Minister agree that the instruction that he has given to the health boards has resulted in the loss of 200 jobs for non-consultant hospital doctors, 100 of them on locum, and has affected intern posts, thus depriving medical students of five-year training and decimating their career prospects?
The Deputy seems to be embarking upon a statement. That is not in order at Question Time. We must proceed by way of supplementary question.
Will the Minister take immediate steps to bring the sides together and will he make himself available for discussions with the junior doctors and the Irish Medical Organisation who represent them in this matter, before Saturday, before this calamity affects our health services which, as has been mentioned in this House, are already in crisis and practically decimated?
As I said, I met the Irish Medical Organisation, and the demand that was made by the non-consultant hospital doctors was that the savings to be effected would in no way effect the non-consultant hospital doctors. Obviously, this was totally unacceptable. The question of the emergency services is a matter for arrangement by the management of the health boards and the management of the voluntary hospitals. I am satisfied that emergency services will be provided and that lives will not be put at risk. Certainly I accept that there will be a reduction in the level of service, and the blame for that must lie fairly and squarely on the non-consultant hospital doctors. The savings to be effected will not affect the non-consultant hospital doctors any more than they will effect any other professional group working in the health services.
The Minister should know that the non-consultant hospital doctors are the engine room of the health service and that his cutbacks——
Deputy Allen, again I must ask that we proceed by way of question. Statements are not in order.
The strike, if it takes place, will have a very serious effect because the junior hospital doctors are the engine house of the health service. Since the Minister has chosen to ignore the danger signs in the last few days, let me say that even we in Opposition knew that the strike was imminent. I had a private notice question down yesterday——
Deputy Allen, I am still waiting for a question.
Would the Minister now agree to the option put to him by the Irish Medical Organisation that all cuts be frozen until the group dealing with the working conditions of junior hospital doctors make a report on 24 June? It is hoped that that report will bring forward some suggestions regarding savings without seriously affecting the health service to the public. Will the Minister intervene now and call a halt to what is happening until that report is published on 24 June?
Obviously, Deputy Allen did not listen to my reply. I held a discussion with the Irish Medical Organisation personally. We discussed the proposed industrial action. As a result of that meeting I arranged for discussions to be held at local hospital level involving management and medical staff, including the non-consultant hospital doctors and, consequently, a satisfactory conclusion had been reached in many hospitals. This afternoon officials from my Department met the Irish Medical Organisation to discuss the matter. I would hope there is still time for reconsideration by the non-consultant hospital doctors, particularly as they are proposing taking the unprecedented action of not providing emergency cover. Deputy Allen must be aware — having regard to motions debated in this House two weeks ago when his party and the Progressive Democrats agreed that we should not exceed the allocation provided for the health services this year — that is not possible, and would not be in the public interest for us to allow financial chaos to return to the health services at this stage.
Deputies Molloy and Allen rose.
I want to proceed to other business. I will permit Deputy Flaherty a brief question.
Would the Minister clarify his last reply and his initial one when he indicated that he was not clear himself. Is he saying that he does not anticipate a problem on Saturday, or is he suggesting that there will not be a problem in some hospitals but that there may be in others? Is he in touch with the position at all? What exactly is his view in regard to that potential situation? Furthermore, would he indicate in more detail what arrangements he would propose in the event of such an unprecedented strike taking place? He has indicated that preparations are afoot already. Would he agree that it would be of advantage to the public to have some information in relation to any proposed arrangements in advance of any such strike taking place?
It is my hope that good sense will prevail, that this action will not take place. However, it is a matter for the non-consultant hospital doctors. As I said earlier, as members of a caring profession I would hope they would reconsider the position. I stated in my reply that arrangements are being made by the management of the health boards and the voluntary hospitals to ensure that emergency services will be provided. I am satisfied that that will be the case. As in previous disputes, at this stage in the House, and bearing in mind that my officials have met the IMO in the past few hours and that I am awaiting a response at local level, I do not believe it appropriate that we should go into too much detail.
The Minister is being very provocative today, if negotiations are going on. He should realise his comments here today are provocative to junior doctors now being forced to work 110 hours per week, who have been told to work for nothing except a free meal and a white coat? I would ask the Minister to take on board the recommendations of the report which will be published shortly, which will not involve extra moneys but rather rationalisation and a reform of work practices. Surely the Minister should await publication of that report before any steps are taken to effect cutbacks.
The non-consultant hospital doctors are aware of my desire to meet them following the publication of that report. I believe it would be in their interest to await the report when we shall be in a position to sit down and discuss its implications.
And allow 100 jobs to go in the meantime.
Would the Minister agree that all of these posts are six monthly appointments which change on 1 July next, rendering the matter very urgent? Is it true that these people are being asked if they will agree to work 100 hours or more, as has been said at interviews? Is it true that locums have been let go and will not be re-employed for the next six months? Is it true that jobs are not being advertised or filled, that all of this will increase hours of work to unacceptable levels, placing patients' and doctors' health in danger? Why is it that the 10 per cent cut in health personnel costs seems to be applied exclusively to junior hospital doctors and junior nurses, that group being asked to take the brunt of the cuts?
We cannot have questions in omnibus form.
Is it not true that the Minister said in the House that in instructions to health boards they were asked to have the restrictions applied evenly across grades and that it would seem, from the position of junior doctors, that such is not happening?
As I said in my reply, I arranged that negotiations would take place at local level between management and medical staff, particularly the non-consultant hospital doctors. That did happen and agreement was reached in a number of cases. I am satisfied that the savings to be effected will not discriminate against non-consultant hospital doctors any more than any other group in the services.
The Minister has not convinced them of that.