Six-hundred full-time private hospital consultants have refused to sign a contract to work in public hospitals, saying the proposed terms could force the closure of their consulting rooms.
The Government reached an agreement with the Private Hospitals Association two weeks ago to use their facilities during the Covid-19 crisis.
This means that 19 private hospitals are essentially being operated as public hospitals for the next three months. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said an agreement had been reached last Thursday allowing their members to see their existing patients along with new referrals necessitated by the Covid-19 emergency to be cared for on an agreed basis including the continued operation of consulting rooms.