The HSE have said efforts are ongoing to avert strike action by nurses but plans have been put in place in case it goes ahead. 

The industrial action planned by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is due to take place at all public Hospitals, Healthcare Facilities and Community Healthcare services from 8am on January 30th to 8am on January 31st.

Any updates on patient services will be posted on the HSE website, in national newspapers and on social media.

The following restrictions to services have been put in place to deal with the potential strike action: 

Acute Hospitals

Services that will not operate on the day of the strike:

• Local Injury Units will not operate
• With the exception of cancer surgery cases, all other planned in-patient and day case surgery will be cancelled
• All out-patient appointments are cancelled, including adult, maternity and paediatric
• In the event that a pregnant woman requires urgent assessment due to cancellation of OPD, she should present to the Emergency Admission Room

Services that will operate on the day of the strike:

• Urgent cancer surgery. Patients will be contacted directly by hospitals if their surgery is proceeding
• Emergency theatres
• In-patient wards
• Maternity services (delivery suites/home births/special care baby units/neonatal)
• Critical care
• Colposcopy services
• Oncology services (chemotherapy and radiotherapy)
• Dialysis
• Emergency departments (adult and paediatric)
• Planned obstetric procedures (based on maternal and foetal well being)

Community Services

Services that will not operate on the day of the strike:

• All public day centres for older people or people with disabilities, where nurses are employed, will close
• All routine community nursing services and health centre clinics where nurses participate will be cancelled
• All day hospitals or out-patient appointments in community nursing hospitals/units will be cancelled

Services that will operate on the day of the strike:

• Planned essential services at home
• Long-term care of older people and people with intellectual disability
• Palliative care
• Limited newborn screening services will be operational

In the event that industrial action proceeds next week, the HSE will re-schedule any appointments or procedures that are cancelled as soon as possible and will make contact with patients and clients directly in this regard.