Naas General Hospital will be affected tomorrow as 1,500 clerical staff in the Eastern Regional Health Authority continue their "rolling" one-day strikes.
Similar disruption will occur at St Colmcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, on Thursday and the James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, on Friday.
According to IMPACT all admissions and services including X-ray, out-patients and accident and emergency services will be severely curtailed at Naas General Hospital tomorrow.
However, a spokesman for the South-West Area Health Board said last night the action would not affect client-patient care.
"All emergency services at Naas Hospital will continue. The only disruption will be in terms of records, and this will not interfere with patient care on the day. Only two out-patient clinics have been cancelled," he said.
Patients affected had been notified in writing.
IMPACT says it has agreed to make staff available during tomorrow's stoppage "to cover genuine emergencies". A union official warned that this would not mean simply accepting management interpretations on the level of cover needed.
The disruption is due to a series of rolling strikes this week over new recruits being given better pay and conditions than existing staff. IMPACT claims some new staff are earning as much as existing staff with over 20 years' service doing identical work.
IMPACT decided yesterday to place pickets on the ERHA's three area headquarters in Naas, Swords and Bray from today. The union says the effects of the strikes will be felt in administrative services next week, when suppliers may not be paid and service plans for 2001 will be delayed.