Emergency department nurses strikes set to go ahead

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said strike action is to go ahead next week in emergency departments at seven hospitals after talks on resolving an industrial dispute broke down.

HSE management and INMO representatives met on Wednesday at the Workplace Relations Commission in an attempt to reach an agreement that would put off the action, which is to take place on Tuesday.

The INMO has said the industrial action is a consequence of chronic overcrowding and understaffing in emergency departments.

Dave Hughes, INMO deputy general secretary, said HSE management had failed to commit to realistic staff recruitment and retention plan and that the approach taken had lacked credibility.

“There is a tolerance of ED overcrowding and the complete failure to manage and control admissions and discharges,” he said.

The emergency department nurses recently voted overwhelmingly to take strike action.

The two hour rolling strikes will take place on Tuesday at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin (8am-10am); Mercy University Hospital in Cork (8am-10am); Tallaght Hospital in Dublin (10am-12pm); Cavan General Hospital (10am-12pm); University Hospital Waterford (12pm-2pm); Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore (12pm-2pm) and University Hospital Galway (2pm-4pm).