Nearly 300 out-patient appointments scheduled for today at a number of hospitals around the State have been cancelled by health service management as a result of the escalation of the industrial action by nurses.
The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) are to embark on a series of two-hour work stoppages in a number of centres from today as part of their campaign for improved pay and conditions.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) said last night that 220 out-patient appointments scheduled for today at Tallaght hospital had been postponed. Tallaght is one of the hospitals affected by the planned work stoppages.
The HSE said about 70 out-patient appointments in other hospitals will not take place today either. About seven theatre operations which were due to be carried out at Tallaght hospital have also been postponed, as have seven theatre procedures at other hospitals around the State.
In another significant development, HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm is expected to decide today whether to press ahead with plans to deduct pay from some 40,000 nurses who have been engaged in a work to rule for more than a month.
Health service management has proposed that pay increases awarded under the previous national agreement, Sustaining Progress, in return for co-operation with new technology and other reforms, should be withdrawn from nurses taking part in the work to rule.
As part of the work to rule, the nurses have been refusing to deal with non-essential telephone calls or to carry out clerical, administrative or IT duties.
If the plan is accepted by Prof Drumm, they could have their pay deducted by about 13 per cent.
The Irish Times understands that letters would be sent to the nurses giving them one week to end the work to rule. Nurses who continued with the action after that point would have the money docked from their salaries.
HSE management has contended that the work to rule has been more damaging to services than the short work stoppages which have taken place up to now.
The plan to deduct money from pay would only affect nurses who are members of the INO and PNA.
The INO has said that any move by HSE management to dock pay from nurses would change the tone of the dispute. It said it would "open a sore that would take a long time to heal".
Both the INO and the PNA have said that when health service managers took part in a work to rule of their own in 2004, they did not have money deducted from pay but were awarded jobs for life and substantial salary increases.
The INO is to hold a delegate conference on Thursday, at which plans for a further escalation of the dispute may be considered. Sources have suggested this could involve a ban on overtime.
There are currently no talks taking place aimed at finding a settlement to the dispute.