Doctors have been told they will have to be punctual and patient if they wish to participate in legal actions.
Judge James Carroll said in the Circuit Civil Court that judges could not keep parties in personal injury actions waiting just because doctors refused to attend on time.
"If any of us have to attend hospital or a doctor's clinic we are inevitably left hanging around," he said.
"They will have to accept that if they are required in court they must attend and it will inevitably entail some hanging around."
He told solicitors that if doctors could not guarantee their attendance when needed they should issue subpoenas.
