Industrial action by medical scientists today has already led to a number of hospitals in Cork being forced to cancel planned procedures as laboratory services are being withdrawn until 8pm this evening.
Medical Scientists are taking the action because of what they say is a severe recruitment and retention problem, pay parity, career development and increasing demands leading to burn out.
Today's action will have a negative impact on routine hospital and GP services right around the country.
It means that routine lab services are being withdrawn until 8pm tonight, which will affect routine hospital and GP services as the majority of these Medical Scientists work at laboratories in public hospitals.
RedFM News has been made aware of a number of planned hospital procedures here in Cork being cancelled today as a direct result of the action.
The Union representing Medical Scientists say they have been left with no alternative as the action follows many rounds of unsuccessful talks which has led to frustration over long-standing pay and career development issues which is leading to burn out.
They say if no progress is made a further two days of action are planned for May 24th and 25th with three further days of action at the end of May and start of June.
Five more days of industrial action are planned for the coming weeks.
Terry Casey is the general secretary of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association.
"There are further days of action planned for next week on the 24th and the 25th. And then there's three days on the following week on the 31st, the first and the second of June.
"So I think we need to ensure that those actions don't proceed. And the only way that can happen is by really sitting down now and trying to try to address the issues to finality.
"Unfortunately, that has been absent to date."
