The UL Hospitals Group is warning that health services across the Midwest will experience major disruption again this morning.
Nurses and Midwives at University Hospital Limerick, the Maternity Hospital and Ennis General Hospital are among 37,000 across the country who are staging a second day of strike action.
A government offer of talks has been roundly rejected by their union, the INMO, as the discussions wouldn’t address their pay claims.
The UL Hospitals Group has confirmed that planned industrial action by nurses and midwives will cause disruption to patient services across all six of its hospitals in Clare, Limerick and Tipperary over the coming 24 hours.
All planned daycase and inpatient surgical procedures have been cancelled, as well as the vast majority of outpatient appointments, though a small number of clinics will go ahead and those patients have been contacted directly.
The Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals are also closed.
The UL Hospitals Group is warning that on account of this, the Emergency Department in Dooradoyle is expected to be busy, and is reminding people to consider all their care options before presenting there.
Hospital Management say they’ll continue to work with the INMO to secure the safest possible level of nursing and midwifery cover at Midwest hospitals during the period of the strike and contingency arrangements are being out in place.
Last night the INMO rejected a suggestion from Health Minister Simon Harris and Finance Minister Paschal Donohue for talks on issues other than pay, claiming it was “spin masquerading as substance”.
Meanwhile, the HSE’s mental health services face disruption too, as the Psychiatric Nurses Association are extending an overtime ban tomorrow and Thursday in their own row over pay and working conditions.
The PNA represents around 150 health professionals in Clare.
