Patients face disruption due to row at hospitals

HOSPITAL patients in the west are facing major disruption from next Monday, with nurses and ward clerks mounting industrial action in a row over pay and planned job losses.

Services at hospitals in Galway and the mid-west will be affected by the escalation of industrial unrest among medical staff in the region.

Theatre nurses at Limerick Regional Hospital and Nenagh and Ennis General Hospitals voted yesterday to stage a work-to-rule in a dispute over pay for on-call duty from next week. Ward clerks belonging to SIPTU are also planning to commence similar work-to-rule action at University College Hospital, Galway on Monday.