A&E nurses say Harney must match words with action

The Irish Nurses Organisation is demanding that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, take immediate action to address the A&E crisis.

The call follows Ms Harney's admission yesterday that the long-running problem of overcrowding in accident and emergency departments is a national emergency.

The minister told the inaugural meeting of her new A&E task force that addressing the matter was her top priority.

She said every effort had to be made to ensure nobody was forced to wait on a trolley overnight for admission to a hospital bed.

The Irish Nurses Organisation has welcomed Ms Harney's decision to finally admit the extent of the problem and is now demanding that she match her words with concrete actions.

Spokesman Liam Doran said: "Heretofore, they've been saying that everything that could be done is being done. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"We're now going to ask what additional beds will be brought on stream, what enhanced primary-care services will be brought forward, will they drop the employment ceiling and will they ultimately come forward with a capital development programme which will rid ourselves of this problem?"