THE new EU working time directive for junior doctors will not be implemented in three weeks because of the “absolute intransigence” of the IMO, the Government chief whip Mary Hanafin claimed last night.

The Health Service Employers Agency has expressed concern about the high number of assaults on health workers in Ireland.

ACCIDENT and emergency nurses throughout the country are dreading Christmas and the New Year.

HEALTH Boards have failed to fill 27 GP posts around the country because graduates cannot make a living out of the present medical card system, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) claimed yesterday.

PLANS to reduce junior doctor working hours and change the way consultants serve public hospitals have hit a major hurdle — just days after a blueprint for health service reform was published.

The Irish Medical Organisation and the Health Service Employers Agency have accepted LRC proposals aimed at resolving the nine-week old strike by public health doctors.

PUBLIC health nurses are considering restricting their workload by refusing to take on new cases because a massive staff shortage is creating unacceptable workloads.

The Irish Medical Organisation and the Health Service Employers Agency are due to resume talks at the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the eight-week-old public health doctors' strike.

The Irish Medical Organisation and the Health Service Employers Agency are due to return to the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the eight-week-old public health doctors' strike.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Health Service Employers Agency (HSEA) are due to return to the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the eight-week-old strike by public health doctors.

Talks between health service employers and striking public health doctors have broken up for the weekend without agreement.

STRIKING public health doctors last night agreed to become involved in the investigation of a new suspect case of SARS in a Dublin hospital.

STRIKING public health doctors have warned that medical assessments of child sex abuse cases are on hold while the dispute continues.

SERVICES to monitor infectious diseases will be severely disrupted from today with the start of an all-out strike by the country’s 270 public health doctors.

The Irish Medical Organisation's Public Health Committee today issued notice of strike by more than 270 doctors following the refusal by the Department of Health and Children to abide by an agreement reached nine years ago.

PUBLIC health specialists have signalled they are ready for strike action amid claims the country has no out of office hours emergency plan to deal with an epidemic like the deadly pneumonia virus spreading across the world.

A VOTE for all-out strike by public health doctors could leave the country exposed to outbreaks of infectious disease, including the new killer pneumonia virus.

A DAMNING report on the Accident and Emergency crisis has strongly criticised bed management and consultants’ practices in 23 major acute hospitals nationwide.

THE Labour Relations Commission will hold a special meeting later this week to discuss the A&E crisis in the eastern region.

PUBLIC health doctors last night voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, claiming the Department of Health had continuously delayed negotiations on a number of issues.

AS thousands of nurses prepare for industrial action, health service employers have accused militant nursing unions of placing an unbearable strain on the health service.

GARDAÍ are to patrol the corridors of Limerick Hospital following an increase in violent attacks on staff.

MENTAL handicap services at 50 residential care centres could be hit after a nurse’s ballot in favour of industrial action in a dispute over pay.

The health service employers agency has condemned the IMO’s decision not to attend Labour Court talks in the Junior Doctors' dispute on Thursday.

THE strike threat to geriatric and psychiatric patients in Dublin hospitals was temporarily lifted last night as SIPTU and health managers agreed to talks at the Labour Court on Monday.

Strike action by hospital ward attendants has been suspended to allow talks to take place at the Labour Court.

Hundreds of geriatric and psychiatric patients in Ireland face disruption after medical workers said they would go on strike.

More than 200 hospital attendants are due to begin rolling industrial action in the east of the country tomorrow as part of a dispute over pay.

THE dispute at Waterford Regional Hospital deepened yesterday as doctors slammed management for failing to enter into meaningful talks on rostering.

THE hurling season may be drawing to a close but there’s still one man perfecting his hurler-on-the-ditch routine.

THE GOVERNMENT last night said it will not intervene in a junior doctors’ dispute which threatens up to 450 planned operations as well as 1,000 outpatient appointments in two hospitals this week.

MINISTER for Health Mícheál Martin yesterday unequivocally ruled out the possibility of his direct intervention in the hospital doctors dispute, which is regrettable.

THE strike by junior doctors escalated yesterday after they refused re-enter labour relations talks until their old rostering agreements are put back in place.

HOPES that planned talks at the Labour Relations Commission today will provide a breakthrough in the dispute with junior doctors at Waterford General Hospital were being played down yesterday.

PATIENT services at a 500-bed regional hospital will be disrupted again today as junior doctors take to the picket line for a second day.

DOCTORS last night warned that patients on waiting lists will have their operations deferred if a series of one-day strikes are rolled out nationally next month.

OVERTIME payments to nurses are set to top 36 million euro this year as staff shortages continue to hit health services.

Health service employers are repeating their call on nurses to call off their work-to-rule in Accident and Emergency departments.

Unions representing nurses in accident and emergency departments are due to meet with hospital management today in an effort to avert industrial action in two weeks.

The average income for junior doctors has risen by £20,000 per year as a direct result of last year's agreement with the Irish Medical Organisation, according to the Health Services Employers Agency.