Strikes Across Health Services Causing A National Health Care Crisis
Members of the public have been asked not to make use of out of hours GP services this morning, as family Doctors will be making their own way up to Dublin to join strikes with nurses.
The public are being urged by the National Association of GPs, to use emergency services in case of emergencies, or wait to see the GP tomorrow.
The nurses are currently on the second day of striking, with 50,000 patients being affected this week in out patient services, non-urgent surgery and respite. A further 25,000 patients are to be affected by the weekend, with another 24 hour strike being set for tomorrow.
A ban on over-time means many Adult mental health services will be immensely affected, with members of PNA (Psychiatric Nurses Association) engaging in industrial action. The service relies heavily on over-time, and the union are also demanding better pay.
Doctors will also be joining in on the protest, with the NAGP leading a cavalcade of cars to the Dáil tomorrow, where they will be asking for a reversal of pay-cuts from the recession, and protesting conditions.
The Irish Medical Organisation are also hoping to come to an agreement with the government that will help capacity issues for local GPs and family doctors.
Senior Ministers made an attempt to get nurses back into talks over certain issues, but the INMO shut this down as the government were unwilling to discuss the issue of pay.
The government is willing to discuss and review the role of nurses and staffing issues.
Government officials were going through the clauses of the public sector pay deal "with a fine tooth comb" to look for a way to resolve the dispute with nurses that is causing national chaos among health services and the public.