€750m health cuts will put patients at risk, nurses warn

TAKING €750 million out of the health service without putting patients at risk will be impossible, nurses warned yesterday.

Health Minister James Reilly said that while there would be an “inevitable and unavoidable” reduction in frontline services he was doing everything possible to diminish the impact of spending cuts.

However, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation, Liam Doran, said that it would be impossible to maintain safe care and practice in a responsive way with a public health service fit for purpose.