Nurses warn of further chaos at hospital

THE Irish Nurses’ Organisation yesterday predicted further chaos at Cork University Hospital, even if the A&E department is relocated to a new €24 million wing next month.

The warning came after the consultant in charge was forced to close the department to all but emergency cases, because 30 patients were lying on trolleys and services had become overstretched.

Dr Stephen Cusack closed the department for just over four hours yesterday, the first time in the hospital’s history that such a decision had been made.