Creative solutions are needed to prevent a situation where nursing home residents cannot receive visitors for months, a specialist in geriatric medicine has said.

In a joint statement the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and Irish College of General Practitioners acknowledged there are significant problems in some areas.

The owner of a nursing home in the midlands dealing with a Covid-19 cluster has spoken about the heartbreak of losing seven residents to the virus.

Consultant geriatrician Professor Sean Kennelly has warned that nursing home residents could have to wait months before they receive visitors.