Accident and emergency departments face disruption from next month with the two main nursing unions threatening limited industrial action over conditions.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, has proposed that an A&E forum be held at the end of the month in a apparent attempt to stave off action by the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and SIPTU. However, there was no immediate indication that the creation of a forum made up of nurses, doctors and other participants in the health services, would deflect nurses from taking action.
SIPTU was yesterday sending ballot papers to its branches on industrial action over what its national nursing official, Mr Oliver McDonagh, described as the " war-zone type atmosphere" in which nurses work.
The results of the ballot will be known on February 26th. Next week, SIPTU's National Nursing Council will meet to decide on what form the action should take.
"We have had no approach on anything," Mr McDonagh said of the proposed forum. "If the Minister proposes a scenario to us we would look at it."
The INO, which represents about two thirds of the country's A&E nurses, has already decided on what form its action will take.
It is to commence a series of two- and three-hour strikes in all A&E departments around the country on Wednesday, 13th March.
The strikes will be held weekly and on the first day will be for two hours. If there is a strike on Wednesday March 20th, it will be for three hours.
"The industrial action will see the complete withdrawal of INO members from A&E departments for the two hours of the strikes, with an emergency response team remaining on standby, but not working, ready to react in the event of major trauma or the activation of the hospital's major accident plan," INO general secretary, Mr Liam Doran, said yesterday.
Nurses will also commence a work-to-rule which will include withdrawal from clerical and administrative work.
"This action will put pressure upon hospital managements and senior medical staff," the INO said. The INO has directed much of its anger at "the abject failure of hospital management to fully comprehend and deal with the overcrowding and workload problems over recent years". It also complains that consultants have been resisting the cancellation of elective (planned) admissions when overcrowding occurs in A&E.
The INO has still to ballot its members on the industrial action but is confident of a vote in support of such action.
Responding to the proposed forum, the INO said a similar forum for the Dublin hospitals had failed to solve the problems.
However, optimism that the forum would help avert strike action was expressed by the Labour Party's spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus.
"If the Minister acts now to reassure the profession that, at long last, their genuine concerns will be addressed speedily through a forum, then this strike can be avoided," she said in a statement.