The doctors' trade union, the IMO has voted in favour of the Haddington Road public service pay proposals.

The proposals were accepted by 67% of those voting in an IMO ballot.

Steve Tweed, IMO Director of Industrial Relations , said that acceptance of the proposals was a difficult choice for members to make.

He said feedback from members had made it clear that they would only accept the proposals on the basis that the HSE and the Department of Health now deliver on their side of the agreement.

He stressed that a key feature of the revised proposals was the commitment by Government to enter into negotiations on career pathways for all doctors, retaining doctors in, and attracting doctors back to, the Irish health system.

Mr Tweed said a failure by Government to deliver on its promises will be seen by IMO members as a breach of the agreement and will result in a 'significant reaction' from doctors throughout the health service.

The IMO also stressed that the separate, but parallel, issue of the onerous and dangerous working hours that NCHDs are still expected to work each week has to be urgently addressed.

The nurses and midwives union, the INMO, has already accepted the Haddington Road deal.

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