Longford council Chair wants nurses freed from vaccination centres to help Mullingar hospital

Longford councillor Peggy Nolan says the HSE must look at releasing nursing staff from duty at vaccinations centres and free them up to go back to hospitals.

The Cathaoirelach of Longford County Council was commenting in the wake of industrial action by nurses at Mullingar hospital this week.

The nurses staged a one hour protest on Monday over what they say is a chronic lack of staff which in turn is compromising patient safety.

Councillor Nolan says it's ironic that the frontline staff were getting huge plaudits at the beginning of the Covid pandemic but have now been left to struggle again in overcrowded and under-resourced hospitals.