Doctors say the next government is facing "an unprecedented crisis" in public health services.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) say public health services will require a significant, immediate and sustained investment as a matter of urgency.

The comments were made by the president of the IMO, Dr Ray Walley, who was speaking at a briefing on health services in the context of the general election.

The IMO is calling for voters and politicians to put health first - with a key message to invest, increase and improve.

Dr Walley said that the health crisis facing the incoming government was comparable to the financial and economic crisis facing the last government when it took office.

"Our familiarity with the problems in our health services have blinded us to how serious the issues have become", Dr Walley said.

He warned that cutbacks in essential services, record emigration and over-crowding in emergency departments has left public health services "perilously close to collapse and in urgent need of emergency attention".

"This is the biggest challenge facing Ireland now and in the years ahead", he added.

The IMO has also called on all the political parties to abstain from what they call "irrational politically motivated reforms", and to concentrate instead on stabilising and supporting the public health service.