Drogheda A&E nurses to begin work-to-rule

Accident and emergency nurses are due to begin a work-to-rule at a hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, this morning as part of a dispute over staffing levels.

The nurses at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital have accused the North-Eastern Health Board of putting patients' lives at risk by failing to employ enough nurses.

Patsy Doyle, the Irish Nurses Organisation's industrial relations officer, said: "If Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital cannot provide the adequate number of nursing staff, [the nurses] either have to close beds in order to generate those staffing levels or basically just give up what they're looking for, which is one additional nurse per shift."