HEALTH workers have been instructed to refuse additional responsibilities, resist redeployment and withdraw co-operation from new services in a directive endorsed by eight unions.

UP to 40 elderly patients are left in the care of a single nurse in some elderly care units because of staffing shortages, delegates at the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) AGM heard yesterday.

WARD managers appointing staff to act in their absence are passing over non-nationals in favour of more junior Irish staff, overseas nurses’ representatives have claimed.

A SURGE in the number of fitness to practice complaints against nurses has led to calls for the public condemnation of employers who fail to protect staff.