Twenty year memories: Strike could cripple hospitals

SERVICES at the Limerick Regional Hospital are expected to almost grind to a halt this Thursday, if this evening’s Employer/Labour conference fails to make a major breakthrough this evening in the dental assistants dispute.

“At the moment all hospital services are at risk tomorrow,” a health board spokesman said.

“Out-patients departments will be severely hit and only emergency cases will be taken because there will be no medical records available,” the spokesman said.

The extension of the industrial action to the hospital will cause major chaos, if a formula isn’t found this Wednesday evening, he said, but every effort will be made to keep essential services going.

Meanwhile major problems have arisen in many services provided by the health board.