Nurses and midwives are mounting the largest strike in the history of the health service today.

37,000 INMO members have taken to the picket line outside hospitals and HSE facilities since 8am, demanding pay increases and government action on staff shortages.

Around 60 nurses were outside University Hospital Waterford this morning to join their colleagues nationwide in demanding  pay increases of around 12% and for the HSE to sort out what they call a recruitment and retention crisis in nursing.

The government says wage hikes for nurses would open the floodgates for others to seek pay claims, and it will not be doing a special deal.

25,000 medical appointments have been cancelled and the HSE is appealing to people not to attend emergency departments unless absolutely necessary.

Dr. Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE, says delays in accessing services today are inevitable.

“People may experience increased delays because other aspects of unscheduled care such as local injury units or acute medical assessment units will not be open,” said Dr Henry.

Further strikes are planned for next week.

As the Labour Court says it cannot intervene in the dispute, it is up to the INMO and the HSE to resolve it.