Task force review of nurse shortages

A long-awaited Department of Health task force set up to examine chronic nursing staff shortages is welcome, but must include the "immediate" lifting of the HSE’s recruitment ban.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation made the claim after the Government plan to address long-term staffing gaps was revealed at the weekend.

Speaking at the nursing union’s annual general meeting in Kilkenny City on Friday, the Department of Health’s secretary general, Ambrose McLoughlin, announced plans to create a range of safe nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals across the country. The policy, long called for by those working in hospital departments, is intended to highlight and address staff shortages before they become potentially dangerous.