Health service union representatives will meet the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, this afternoon to discuss the bed closures announced last week by five Dublin teaching hospitals.
The meeting at the Department of Health has been convened at the request of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Among those attending will be ICTU's general secretary Mr David Begg; SIPTU president Mr Des Geraghty; and the general secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation Mr Liam Doran. IMPACT will also be represented.
Also today, Department of Health officials will meet the Eastern Regional Health Authority and representatives of the five hospitals which announced cuts. These include the Mater, St Vincent's, Beaumont, St James's and Tallaght. The hospitals' "provider plans" for this year will be discussed.
Last week, the hospitals said they would close 250 beds and treat 14,000 patients fewer this year due to funding difficulties.
Mr Geraghty said apart from the bed closures he wanted to ask Mr Martin about plans to reform the health service, and how soon people could expect to see real improvements.
Mr Doran said he hoped the meeting would establish what the Government was going to do about the cuts, and how it would implement the health strategy which has promised 3,000 extra acute hospital beds.
Meanwhile, the unions will also meet with the Irish Medical Organisation today to establish what type of support it is seeking for striking public health doctors, who today begin their fifth week on the picket line.
Last week, the IMO asked ICTU for permission for an all-out strike of healthcare workers, which would effectively close hospitals. ICTU will take submissions from health service unions before meeting on Friday to make its decision.
However, even if it grants the application all the unions will have to ballot members, which could take some weeks. SIPTU, the biggest health service union, would have to ballot 38,000 members, the INO 29,000 members and IMPACT 25,000 members.
Union sources said last night they would be surprised if there were no initiatives under way to solve the doctors' dispute before such balloting.