The HSE has warned that tomorrow will not be a “normal day” for the Irish health system as 37,000 nurses prepare for a 24-hour strike.

Emergency departments will remain open – however health officials are urging patients not to attend unless it is “absolutely essential.”

Meanwhile, the HSE has pledged to directly contact any patient who has had an appointment or procedure cancelled due to the industrial action.

GP services and out-of-hour services will operate as normal.

13,000 outpatient appointments have been cancelled, along with 2,000 planned surgeries.  The HSE said urgent procedures – including cancer procedures – will go ahead as planned.

The strike will also impact upon 10,500 patients accessing older persons and intellectual disability services.

The HSE has warned that while all of the cancelled procedures will be re-scheduled, the strikes will “affect our ability to treat further patients in a timely way.”

It said any further days of action will have a “cumulative impact on wait times and volumes” in irish hospitals.

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE, said officials are working to make sure there is, at the very least, a safe level of service tomorrow.

“Our emergency departments will be staffed fully by other members – doctors, health and social care professionals and so on,” he said.

“We will have a reduced level of staffing for nursing but we are in active dialogue between management, clinical directors and the strike committees in every site to ensure we have a responsive and safe service tomorrow for any eventuality such as a surge in volume or complexity.”

He said the HSE National Contingency Planning Team will work with hospitals and community services throughout the day of action to identify and address any emerging issues.”

The HSE has warned that while all of the cancelled procedures will be re-scheduled, the strikes will “affect our ability to treat further patients in a timely way.”

It said any further days of action will have a “cumulative impact on wait times and volumes” in Irish hospitals.

The strike is still scheduled to go ahead, after eight hours of talks overnight broke up without agreement.

Speaking after talks broke down, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha noted that there are “two parties to this dispute” and warned the Government that time was “running out” with just 24 hours left to avoid the industrial action.

Nurses are in dispute with the government and the HSE over pay and working conditions which they say have caused the recruitment and retention crisis in the health service.

👊
Nurses and midwives are going on strike for only the second time in 100 years.

They are standing up for patients and fair pay.

If you're near a picket from 8am-4pm tomorrow, drop by and show your support.

Full list of pickets here https://t.co/zbPHTsvcyR pic.twitter.com/KUKj5oJqfq

— Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) January 29, 2019

Cancelled HSE services:

• Local injury units will not operate.
• Planned inpatient surgeries will be cancelled – except for cancer surgery.
• Planned day case procedures will be cancelled.
• All outpatient appointments are cancelled. This includes adult, maternity and paediatric appointments. (Outpatient is when you go to hospital for an appointment but don't stay overnight).
• If a pregnant woman needs urgent assessment due to the cancellation of an appointment, she should go to the emergency admission room.
• All day centres operated by the HSE and specified agencies where nurses are employed will be closed.
• All routine community nursing services and health centre clinics where nurses participate will be cancelled.
• All day hospitals or outpatient appointments in community nursing hospitals or units will be cancelled.

Further information on services running as normal is available here.