Nearly 1,800 nurses ‘needed’ to fill vacancies in health system

An extra 1,722 nurses must be recruited to fill existing vacancies within the health system, according to figures from the largest nursing organisation.

The Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation’s director of industrial relations yesterday told the annual delegate conference in Killarney, Co Kerry, that the INMO would dispute government claims it had recruited 1,000 nurses.

Phil Ní Sheaghda said two thirds of nursing appointments are existing staff moving within the public service and are not new recruits.