The impact of a work-to-rule by theatre nurses at the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin, which began yesterday, is still relatively mild, but could turn out to be extremely disruptive when the hospital resumes elective admissions.
This chronic situation could be reached quite quickly, however, once normal service at the hospital resumes, because of the lengthening of the surgery waiting list and a ban on overtime by the theatre nurses.
Planned elective surgery continues to be postponed as the Blanchardstown hospital copes with emergencies sent to it from Beaumont where two more patients showed symptoms of the winter vomiting virus yesterday.
This brings to 103 the number of patients displaying such symptoms over the past two weeks. The number of confirmed cases at Beaumont so far is 27, according to a spokesman. "It is the most serious setback we have ever had, by a significant margin," he said.
Some 30 nurses, members of the Irish Nurses' Organisation, are involved in the Blanchardstown industrial action.
They are seeking an increase of up to €60 a night per on-call session compared to the present rate of €17.
The nurses are also looking for an increase in the fee per case currently standing at €34 to bring them into line with their better-paid colleagues at Loughlinstown Hospital, according to the INO industrial relations officer, Ms Mary Fogarty.
The theatre nurses have suspended all clerical duties, portering, answering phone calls etc and are working strictly on an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. basis in pursuit of their pay claim. They are determined to continue their action indefinitely, said the INO official, until the hospital meets their demands.
The other Dublin hospitals, meanwhile, were continuing to monitor the situation carefully.
Four cases of the vomiting virus have been confirmed at St James's and a further 12 patients have been quarantined subject to the outcome of laboratory tests. "The hospital is taking all the necessary precautions to curtail the spread of the virus, and the public are requested to avoid visiting, if at all possible," a spokesman said. St James's has banned visits from children outright.
The Mater has had no recorded incidences of the winter vomiting bug to date. It has been undertaking a phased introduction of elective patients from Beaumont over the past couple of days, a spokeswoman said.
In Waterford the South Eastern Health Board has cancelled non-urgent elective admissions to the general hospital.