Tullamore hospital strike deferred

 The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has deferred the two-hour strike planned for the Emergency Department at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore this afternoon.

The Emergency Department was due to close between noon and 2pm today as part of the INMO's day long strike action at seven hospitals across the country.

In a statement issued late last night, the INMO said that its executive council decided to defer the strike action to allow members consider proposals which emerged following further re-engagement under the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). This consultation, and subsequent balloting, will take place over the next two/three weeks.

The proposals include plans to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments, measures to assist with the recruitment and retention of staff and improvements in health an safety for staff and patients.

The proposals also provide for an independently chaired process, to report by December 22, on the outstanding issues facing undergraduate and newly graduated nurses in relation to pay and incremental credit.

INMO general secretary Liam Doran said that the INMO’s 'consistent objective' throughout the process 'has been to ensure emergency departments are as safe as possible for patients and staff'.

'Our members will now be fully briefed on what has emerged and they will decide whether they are capable of improving the current environment experienced, by both patients and staff, every day,' Mr Doran said.