The 40 per cent salary cuts for new entrant consultants that were announced by the Minister for Health, without any consultation, in September 2012 have proved a “catastrophe” in terms of recruitment, consultants at the IMO AGM heard.

The exploitation of international medical graduates remains a live issue two decades on, a former President of the IMO has charged, as doctors lobbied the Medical Council and Minister for Health to ensure these medics were put on proper training schemes.

New statutory ethical guidelines for health managers, which would specifically include collection of data guidelines, should be introduced so as to ensure that all decisions in the health service are made based on the best available evidence and with the best interest and safety of patients paramount.

IMO GPs have called for a review of the basic management structures in the administration of the GMS scheme, “given the impact on and suffering faced by many vulnerable patients”.

The IMO voted in favour of a major overhaul of its constitution and rules at its AGM, which among other things will see the President’s stipend reduce by 67 per cent – from €108,000 to €35,000 paid during their year in office.

Dear Editor,  With distance comes perspective.

Signing off on free care leaves no doubt the gloves are off and the wisdom teeth are out in the Government’s confrontation with GPs over its health policy centrepiece, writes Dr Muiris Houston.

A traditional Chinese herbal remedy used to relieve joint pain and inflammation works as well as methotrexate, a standard drug treatment that is frequently prescribed to control the symptoms of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), reveals research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Dear Editor,  A substantial amount of legally prescribed methadone is being diverted onto the streets by patients who are in treatment in either addiction clinics or with general practitioners in the community.

The Department of Health is moving to develop a code of conduct for health and social service employers, clearly setting out their responsibilities in relation to achieving an optimal safety culture, governance and performance of the organisation, in line with a HIQA recommendation and best international practice, IMT reports.