31st IHCA AGM 2019

Young Irish doctors need to be provided with an “option other than exit” from Ireland, the IHCA AGM heard. “The rate at which Irish doctors are opting to emigrate to Australia and elsewhere is unsustainable,” according to Dr Niamh Humphries (PhD), Reader in Health Systems Research at the RCPI, who interviewed young Irish doctors in…

The ball “is in the Government’s court now” on the matter of the recruitment and retention of consultants, IHCA Vice President and Consultant Rheumatologist in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Dr Laura Durcan told the media at the recent IHCA AGM. “We have outlined our concerns and the innumerable risks that our members face every day and…

Two former IHCA Presidents have highlighted the serious challenges facing the health service. Speaking to this newspaper at the recent IHCA AGM, Consultant Surgeon in St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, Mr Denis Evoy said “equalisation of pay is the most important issue that I would raise with him [Minister for Health Simon Harris] and the…

The High Court settlement on the failure of the State to honour the terms of the 2008 consultant contract with hospital consultants “is being implemented but progress is significantly behind schedule”, according to the IHCA’s annual report. The report noted, to date, that 2,548 consultant applicants have been confirmed as eligible by the HSE and…

The failure of Minister for Health Simon Harris to attend the recent IHCA AGM, for the second year in a row, generated some anger among delegates at the AGM. The Minister was due to address the AGM, but the Association’s Secretary General Mr Martin Varley received a call on the Thursday before the AGM to…

The IHCA national council will examine different measures to “restore pay parity to new consultants” following the adoption of a motion at the Association’s recent AGM in Stillorgan, Dublin. The lack of pay parity for new-entrant consultants, who were appointed since October 2012, was one of the main issues discussed by delegates at the well…