Declare A&E crisis a national emergency, nurses tell Ahern

NURSES are demanding that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern declare that the accident and emergency (A&E) crisis is a national emergency.

The demand comes in the wake of claims by the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) that there are more than 150 beds that can be made available to relieve the A&E crisis in the Dublin area.

INO deputy general secretary Dave Hughes said the beds remained closed because of a “bureaucratic black hole” that has emerged between the new Health Service Executive (HSE) and the former Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA).