At least 20 patients due to have elective surgery and a further 30 due to attend outpatient clinics at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, tomorrow are expected to have their appointments cancelled as a result of an escalation of the campaign of industrial action by nurses.
Breda Kavanagh, general manager of the hospital, said yesterday that more than 60 patients were due at the hospital for surgical and investigative procedures tomorrow and more than 200 were due to attend outpatient clinics.
"We anticipate, though we're not absolutely sure as such yet until we go through it in detail in the morning, that we will have to cancel at least 20 patients for surgery and we will be cancelling over 30 patients for outpatient clinics," she said.
South Tipperary General Hospital is one of three to be hit in the first phase of work stoppages by nurses who began industrial action with a work-to-rule at all hospitals a week ago in an attempt to secure better pay and conditions.
The nurses, who are members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA), will stop work at the Clonmel general hospital and two others for an hour tomorrow.
The other hospitals to be affected are St Vincent's hospital in Dublin and St Luke's Psychiatric Hospital in Clonmel.
A spokesman for St Vincent's Hospital said last night that a decision on what services it will need to curtail during the work stoppage will not be made until this morning.
"If some planned [non-emergency] admissions are to be cancelled on Wednesday, the affected patients will be contacted by the hospital tomorrow [Tuesday]. The cancellations will be decided by the doctors on the basis of clinical priority," he said.
"It is hoped that all out-patient and day patient services will continue on Wednesday even though there might be some delays," he added.
The INO said St Vincent's was targeted because of the attitude of its management to nurses during the ongoing work-to-rule.
Meanwhile, at St Luke's Psychiatric Hospital, it is not yet clear how the work stoppages will affect patients.
Séamus Murphy, industrial relations officer with the PNA, said St Luke's had over 130 mainly long-stay patients and also some services for older people.
He said the work-to-rule would affect the hospital as well as all mental health services in south Tipperary, including day centres and community hostels.
There are 139 beds in St Luke's, 49 psychiatric beds in South Tipperary General Hospital and up to 80 beds in community-based residences, with two day hospitals and two day centres in Tipperary town and Clonmel, all staffed by nurses and which will be affected.
Mr Murphy said it was possible the work stoppage would affect social outings for long-stay patients in St Luke's as well as people who had appointments with the addiction services. Visits to people in their own homes may also have to be rescheduled during the stoppage, he added.
The HSE said it would be meeting the nursing unions in south Tipperary today to discuss contingency arrangements for the stoppage.
Dr Siobhán Barry of the Irish Psychiatric Association said the air of uncertainty surrounding the work stoppages could have a destabilising effect on patients availing of mental health services.