DISPUTE: how regions are coping

Non urgent inpatient elective surgery has been deferred at Waterford Regional Hospital

Non urgent inpatient elective surgery has been deferred at Waterford Regional Hospital. However, clinics in the hospital are running as normal.

In regard to the other acute hospitals in the region - namely South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, Wexford General Hospital and St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny - normal services are ongoing, the HSE said.

But there is a complete ban on visitors to the Clonmel hospital due to an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.

- Mid West:

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The HSE said hospitals were under pressure in the region but were coping.

A ban on all visitors, except to those who are critically ill, has been imposed at Limerick Regional Hospital, due to an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug. Some 17 cases have been confirmed among patients across seven wards in the hospital. Security has been increased and the outpatients door has been closed to assist in controlling access to the hospital in an attempt to prevent the spreading of the bug.

Anyone wishing to visit the hospital is requested to check with staff before entering.

- North East:

The HSE said the A&E units at Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, were very busy, but doctors in the region said this was nothing new and not related to the nurses dispute. The Cavan hospital is also under pressure as a result of an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug. Some 11 cases have been confirmed among patients. Visitor restrictions are in place.

- Midlands:

Hospitals in the region were said to be very busy but no surgery was cancelled.

- West/North West:

No surgery had to be cancelled in hospitals across these regions yesterday as a result of the dispute, the HSE said. However, it reported some delays in the turnaround time for ambulances serving hospitals in the west.

- South:

The A&E unit at Kerry General Hospital was said to be extremely busy. Cork University Hospital is coping, but an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug is also having an impact. A spokeswoman said the hospital wanted to put a total ban on visitors to stop the spread of the bug but due to the fact that nurses were not answering phones during the dispute, the hospital was allowing one visitor per patient between the hours of 3pm and 4pm daily.

- East:

The main Dublin hospitals were said to be busy but coping. The Mater hospital's A&E was reported to be extra busy. The HSE said all elective gynaecological surgery was cancelled at the Rotunda hospital.

- Eithne Donnellan