More than 1,500 hospital appointments and procedures have been cancelled because of the escalation in the nurses' dispute, the Health Service Executive said this evening.
With one-hour work stoppages taking place in more than 20 hospitals today, the HSE said this evening it had "serious concerns about the risk to patient safety".
The industrial action, which has been running for five weeks, is part of a attempt by 40,000 nurses to secure a 10.6 per cent pay rise and a 35-hour week. Further two and three-hour stoppages are set to take place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, while the work-to-rule by members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) is continuing.
"We are very worried that there is no consistency being afforded to patients across the country," HSE Network Manager Angela Fitzgerald said in a statement.
"We find ourselves in a position where we are negotiating to make sure cancer and dialysis patients have their appropriate level of care next week. This is wholly unacceptable and can only seriously increase the level of risk"
She said the HSE was particularly concerned that in Tallaght Hospital negotiations were still ongoing regarding children who are preparing for surgery next week and whose procedures remain in doubt this evening.
The HSE said a total of 3,000 proceedures or appointments were at risk while 1,500 had been confirmed as cancelled. In St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin there were 500 cancellations, while Waterford Regional Hospital saw 300 cancellations and 300 cancellations were reported by the HSE in St Lukes Hospital, Kilkenny.
Earlier the INO and the PNA described as "total hypocracy" suggestions that nurses' pay may be cut because of the work-to-rule.
INO General Secretary, Liam Droan said: "The involvement and commitment of our members, to the campaign, remains absolute and resolute.
"The suggestion that the pay of nurses and midwives, who are all still at work, meeting the needs of all patients/clients will [be cut] inevitably futher galvanise all of our members as this campaign continues.
"The gross hypocracy of management, is now plain for all to see as they, yet again, talk down to nurses and midwives and treat them as some kind of second class worker compared to themselves."
