Industrial action by non-consultant hospital doctors over rosters is due to escalate at Waterford Regional Hospital this morning where non-emergency services have been cancelled for the day.
Doctors at Tullamore General Hospital will commence a three-day strike next Tuesday.
The dispute could spread to hospitals throughout the State in a matter of weeks if non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) vote for action in a ballot being conducted.
The dispute concerns the rostering of NCHDs for their normal week's duty outside what they see as their "core" hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
The Irish Medical Organisation argues that this deprives NCHDs of training opportunities because, if they are not rostered for daytime work, they will not be present and learning from consultants during the hospitals' busiest times.
The Health Service Employers' Agency, said the doctors are trying to protect their overtime earnings by having work done outside the "core" hours regarded as overtime.
At Waterford, NCHDs will withdraw services from certain areas indefinitely between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Full cover will continue in the areas of cancer, dialysis, labour ward, neo-natology, epidural and maternity services. Full emergency cover will be provided.
The South Eastern Health Board says its cancellation of non-emergency services at the hospital today will be reviewed on a daily basis. "However, all cancer services, including the administration of chemotherapy, breast clinics and out-patient cancer services, will proceed as normal and will not be affected by this action," it said. "Scheduled dialysis will also not be affected."
NCHDs at Tullamore General Hospital will provide emergency cover only from Tuesday.
A "crisis situation" had arisen in Cavan General Hospital regarding beds, general practitioners were told in a notice from the hospital on Tuesday.
"There are no vacant beds, A&E is overflowing and we are continuing to get referrals for admission," the notice said. "The ambulance service have been asked to divert as many ambulances as possible to other hospitals. Your co-operation when referring a patient to the board's acute hospital services would be greatly appreciated."
The North Eastern Health Board said that the normal discharge home of in-patients yesterday afternoon meant beds had become available for people waiting in A&E. By 6 p.m. only one patient was awaiting a bed, a spokeswoman said.
Sinn Féin's health spokesman, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD, said the situation "is the inevitable result of the suspension of A&E at Monaghan and the lack of proper management by both the North Eastern Health Board Executive and the Department."