There is fear of further chaos in our health system, as nurses are on course to stage industrial action over chronic overcrowding at most medical facilities in the country.
Talks are continuing at the Workplace Relations Commission this evening, however, and a last minute agreement is hoped for.
If the strike does go ahead, seven hospitals will be affected bytwo hour rolling work stoppages, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has said that: “I should say that once again compared to this day last year, overcrowding is down about 20%, but we do still have overcrowding in a lot of emergency departments but the solution to that isn’t industrial action, it’s continuing to implement the plan that we have which is now working.”