Nurses threaten to refuse patients due to workload

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

With two-in-every-five community nursing jobs not filled, nurses representatives have warned they are on the verge of industrial action.

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said yesterday that swingeing cutbacks are causing real hardship to the elderly by reducing services to people in their own homes.