Seven Emergency Departments (EDs) nationwide face strike action next week, including Beaumont Hospital, which has faced major overcrowding in recent days.

The strike action by nurses, who are all members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), is set to take place on Thursday, January 14, following the rejection of proposals by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) earlier this week.

Following a national meeting of the INMO's ED representatives on Thursday, the organisation has confirmed that strike action will take place in seven hospitals - Beaumont and Tallaght Hospital in Dublin, Cavan General, Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore, Mercy University Hospital in Cork, University Hospital Waterford and University Hospital Galway.

The INMO noted that there is a ‘complete lack of confidence felt by every ED nurse in management's ability to implement the WRC brokered agreement'. The meeting of ED representatives heard ‘numerous examples' from members about their experiences on the frontline.

Speaking after the meeting, INMO general secretary, Liam Doran, said that it is ‘quite clear that health employers will have to make a monumental effort to begin convincing frontline nursing staff in EDs that the WRC proposals will be implemented and will make a real difference to patient care and safe nursing practice'.

Meanwhile speaking on RTÉ News on Thursday evening, the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, acknowledged that ‘overcrowding or persistent waits on a trolley for more than 12 hours compromise patient safety and affect clinical outcomes'.

He insisted that ‘a lot' has been done in the last year, including additional investment in primary care and additional nursing home places.

However he added that ‘this is not something that we can solve even in one year, it is going to require sustained investment over a number of years'.