Talks on mid-west’s acute health services collapse

CRUCIAL talks between the HSE and unions on the future of acute health services in the mid-west have collapsed.

Unions involved in the talks, chaired by the Labour Relations Commission, pulled out amid claims the HSE had not given enough time to address “patient safety issues and staffing levels”.

In a joint statement unions said the HSE had “failed to produce written proposals and finalise protocols on the changes planned from next Monday to commence the reconfiguration process”.