The head of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association says patients are facing unacceptable conditions this coming winter.

Dr Gerard Crotty says his colleagues are becoming more and more concerned about the situation in emergency departments across the country.

The organisation is meeting with the Health Minister today at their annual conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

Leo Varadkar warned consultants not to be critics of the health service, but to be advocates for it.

Minister Varadkar told delegates that being a consultant in a public hospital is a full time job - and consultants should not have time for private practice outside normal working hours.

He also pointed out that Irish doctors see fewer patients on average than their European peers, but conceded there may be a good reason for it.

Minister Varadkar says he will support consultants' calls for another funding increase in budget 2016.

The comments come as doctors said conditions in A&Es, resources and growing waiting lists are making their jobs more and more difficult.

Dr Gerard Crotty, President of the IHCA, says patients are being put at risk:

Dr Crotty welcomed the recent Joint Oireachtas Committee report on clinical indemnity, but emphasised the need for its recommendations to be implemented.

"More surgical and other specialties are now in serious jeopardy. This will increase the number of patients presenting for care in already crowded public hospitals," he said, adding "there is an urgent need to reform the law".