While plans by some nurses to protest outside hospitals over ongoing overcrowding in A&E units were deferred yesterday, industrial action by some others began to look increasingly likely.
Members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) had planned to protest outside affected hospitals next week, but the plan was deferred by the union's executive council after it was assured by the Minister for Health, Ms Harney, during a meeting with her, that significant progress could be expected during March on relieving overcrowding in the units.
However, SIPTU said the failure of the Minister to listen to what its A&E nurses had to say meant there was now a very real possibility of them taking industrial action. SIPTU represents about 6,000 nurses.
Meanwhile, industrial action by hospital consultants, scheduled to begin on March 14th, is still on the cards after failure to reach agreement yesterday on the wording of a guarantee that no consultant refused assistance by the Medical Defence Union will be be left uncovered by the State.
A meeting took place between solicitors for the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) and solicitors from the Chief State Solicitor's Office and the Attorney General's office to consider a letter written by the Minister last October stating that no consultant would be left uncovered. The IHCA has been claiming the letter is not legally binding, and it is understood this was accepted at the meeting.
Meanwhile, a large number of patients continue to have to be accommodated on trolleys in A&E units at hospitals across the State. This week, according to INO figures, there were 218 patients on trolleys on Monday, 267 on Tuesday, and 343 yesterday.
Also yesterday the Irish Medical Times reported that the Department of Health has agreed to pay €1,524 a day to PR consultants to train staff in business skills. Carr Communications will provide the training for three to six days a month.