The Labour Relations Commission will hold a special meeting later this week to discuss the Accident and Emergency crisis in the Eastern region.
A request for the meeting was made by the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO), which claims its members are obliged to work in severely overcrowded conditions in emergency units.
Overcrowding became so severe that yesterday the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) requested the public not attend A&E services unless it was "absolutely necessary."
The National A&E Forum, comprising representatives of both the health employers and the Irish Nurses' Organisation, is charged with a revision of the admissions and discharge policies operating in hospitals and consultant level involvement in the early management of overcrowding.
This morning, the INO General Secretary, Mr Liam Doran said: "We will also use the forum to once again repeat our call for an increase in both acute and non acute beds, in all urban areas, and improved GP out-of-hours cover, particularly in Dublin".
The ERHA today reported an easing of the pressure on its hospitals following yesterday's appeal but said its request to stay away from emergency units except in extreme circumstances remained in place.
Some 24 hours after the ERHA issued its appeal, between 70 and 80 patients remained on trolleys in casualty departments waiting for admission to hospitals in the ERHA area. Beaumont Hospital alone has 26 patients waiting on trolleys.
Although outpatient clinics are running as normal, some elective admissions are being deferred. Patients are being notified directly by the hospitals concerned.
Fine Gael spokesperson on health and children Ms Olivia Mitchell has called for the use of nursing home facilities to cater for patients ready for discharge from acute hospitals. She said over 200 vacancies were available in Dublin nursing homes.