Any escalation of the nurses’ strike could compromise patient safety, head of medicine at CUH warns

Any escalation of the nurses’ strike could compromise patient safety, the head of medicine at one of the country’s busiest hospitals has warned.

Dr Mike O’Connor, the clinical director of medicine at the 800-bed Cork University Hospital (CUH), and Care of the Elderly Physician at CUH and St Finbarr’s Hospital, said CUH was able to absorb the impact of yesterday’s 24-hour industrial action by members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) thanks to the cooperation of the union’s strike committee.