Reilly confronted by nurse forced to emigrate

The reality of a recession-era health service came home to roost for the Health Minister yesterday, but, for once, talk of trolleys, chronic under-staffing and yet more budget cuts did not take centre stage.

After telling the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation conference to effectively keep doing more with less, Dr James Reilly was confronted by a nurse graduate “forced” to leave to find work abroad.

Oliver Allen, who graduated as a general nurse in late 2010, said he and thousands of other Irish nurses want to come home to treat Irish patients.