Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) members have unanimously approved a plan to step up their campaign calling on the Government to tackle overcrowding in the country's accident and emergency departments.
Over 300 delegates from the organisation attended today's special delegate conference at Croke Park and voted on motions related to overcrowding, benchmarking and the role of healthcare assistants.
INO industrial relations officer Tony Fitzpatrick
Following today's vote, the next phase of the "Enough is Enough" campaign will include a resistance to any more beds being placed in overcrowded or understaffed units and a national postcard campaign aimed at Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Speaking to ireland.com, INO industrial relations officer Tony Fitzpatrick said current conditions expose patients to higher risk of infection and that Ireland has one of the highest rates of MRSA infection in the western world.
"Mary Harney's ten-point plan has not brought any improvements to the situation. Indeed, conditions going into the winter months will be worse than ever before," he said.
"Patients' human rights are being violated when they're placed in overcrowded and unsafe A&E departments. They have no dignity, they have no privacy. We're investigating whether a case can be taken with regard to these human rights infringements."
Delegates will debate benchmarking in this afternoon's session, and a motion will call on members to reject the terms of reference proposed for the benchmarking body and for the INO to pursue improvements in pay and conditions directly with health employers.