The IMO has called on the HSE to engage in contract talks aimed at devising a ‘fit for purpose’ contract for Specialists in Public Health Medicine. The IMO has noted that, in contrast to their Hospital colleagues, Specialists in Public Health Medicine receive “short, non-standardised and unsatisfactory contracts, the contents of which are generic in nature and are incomplete, making little or no reference to the specialist, leadership, training and research roles that are, of necessity, performed by these Doctors.”  

The contract offered to Specialists in Public Health Medicine fail to take into account the importance of the role. This is another example of the HSE misunderstanding the importance of Public Health Medicine, and is a matter on which we hope for positive engagement.

You can read the IMO’s letter here.