The hospital consultant contract agreement hammered out at the LRC a year ago has, despite Health Minister James Reilly's promises at the time, failed to deliver new reforms in how hospital consultants work, it has been claimed.

And the the €200 million in savings Minister Reilly said last year would result from consultants working more flexibly under the agreement, were, according to the HSE, projected savings under a different initiative, and were 'not relevant to the work practice changes (for consultants) negotiated at that time.'

The Irish Medical Organisation claims none of the productivity changes promised involving consultants being rostered to work more flexibly have been formally implemented, and cannot be unless around 1,000 additional consultants are appointed.

Following marathon talks at the LRC in mid-September last year, Dr Reilly at the time welcomed the consultant agreement, which he said would lead to formalised arrangements for more flexible consultant work practices, including 24/7 rostering, and consultants being rostered for any five days out of seven to ensure their presence in hospitals at weekends.

However, Steve Tweed, Industrial Relations Director with the IMO, said based on information it has gathered,  there is still no formal arrangement in any hospital on flexible consultant rostering as per last year's agreement.

He said many consultants were already working flexibly, including doing weekend work, prior to the LRC agreement, while others were not, and the agreement was intended to put more flexible working practices on a formal footing, applying to all consultants.

However, Mr Tweed said the system is currently 1,000 consultants short of requirements and these extra posts would have to be created if the more flexible 'consultant-delivered service' sought by the Minister is to be achieved.

He claimed the reforms promised by the Minister following the the LRC deal were illusory and merely a 'box-ticking exercise' by the Government to satisfy the demands of the Troika at the time.

Asked about the year-long delay in implementing the consultant work changes, the Department of Health told irishhealth.com that 'certain flexibilities' were being informally provided by consultants prior to the LRC deal.

"However, these have now been formally agreed as part of the LRC process and continue."

A Department spokesman said other flexibilities, such as consultant availability for rostering any five days out of seven, as opposed to weekdays, rostering where required on a 16/7 (8 am to midnight) or 24/7 basis where required, and more cost-effective arrangements for funding medical education, were specifically agreed at the LRC last year.

"Implementation of the measures is a matter for the HSE and individual hospitals," the Department said.

The spokesperson added that in November last year, health management started implementation of additional measures agreed at the LRC under the terms of the Public Service Agreement.

When asked on a number of occasions whether the consultant work practice changes had been implemented and if not, what had caused the delay, the HSE's press office did not provide a response.

The HSE did tell irishhealth.com, however, that the promised of €200 million in savings from the deal related to another initiative, the Clinical Programmes, which were aimed at making hospitals work more efficiently, and not to the consultant deal itself.

The HSE spokesperson said: "The €200 million figure was cited as being the amount of money saved by the introduction of the Clinical Programmes, and is not relevant to the work practice changes negotiated at the time."

However, last September, the Minister indicated that they were directly relevant.

Dr Reilly said said €200 million in savings annually would result from the agreement, as it would 'put on a formal basis a range of productivity flexibilities which would allow for considerable advancements in the use of hospital beds.'

In the event, where was no mention of these savings in the HSE's budgetary plans for this year.

The IMO says said if these savings had materialised, they would have considerably eased the HSE's current deficit problems.

The doctors union also claims the pay cuts imposed by the Minister on future consultant appointments in tandem with the LRC deal last year has had a 'devastating effect' on attracting new consultants into the hospital system.

Mr Tweed said only 20% of vacant consultant posts had been filled since the pay cut was announced.