Nurses consider escalation of Bantry dispute

Nurses at Bantry General Hospital in Co Cork are set to discuss an escalation of their industrial action next Monday.

Nurses at Bantry General Hospital in Co Cork are set to discuss an escalation of their industrial action next Monday.

Some 70 nurses at the hospital have been refusing to carry out non-nursing duties since last Tuesday morning. The row centres over night-time nursing levels, with the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) claiming the hospital is understaffed.

Members of the INO and SIPTU turned down a last-minute offer from the Southern Health Board as they maintained it failed to address the concerns of their members.

The INO said nurses were prepared to continue their work to rule until they achieved their demands.