Hundreds of full time private hospital consultants say further negotiations are needed before they will sign a Health Service Executive contract enabling them to treat public patients during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association says the terms of a draft agreement could force the closure of their members' 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 IHCA said an agreement had been reached last Thursday allowing its 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.
But in a statement this evening the IHCA said this did not materialise in the written contract circulated on Friday.
The IHCA says if the proposed version was to apply consultants would be liable for costs which "would likely exceed their income thereby forcing the closure of consulting rooms needed to private timely outpatient care".
Dr Stephen Fröhlich, managing partner of Critical Care Partner, said it is the equivalent of the Government leasing an airplane without pilots to fly it.
He said the State Claims Agency will indemnify the consultants until next Sunday to allow time to resolve the issues.
In the meantime members of the IHCA say they will continue to see their patients in the same setting but for free as they are now public patients.
