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Severe disruption likely to Emergency Department Services on Wednesday 18th May 2022

Strike notice has been served on the HSE to the effect that Medical Laboratory Scientist members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association will withdraw their services for a 12-hour period from 08.00 until 20.00 on Wednesday 18th May and then for 12 hours on two and three successive days respectively in the following two weeks.

Given the need that patients attending Emergency Departments (EDs) have for a variety of laboratory tests and notwithstanding any contingency arrangements that may be put in place, there will inevitably be significant disruption to the normal functioning of all EDs next Wednesday. It is important therefore that neither patients nor General Practitioners assume that EDs are exempt from the action and attend or refer to the ED for services that will not be available during the action.

Medical Laboratory Scientists perform a crucial role in patient care and in the workings of Emergency Departments and acute hospitals. The absence of this expertise and the services these professionals provide will inevitably have a very negative impact on patient care. The Association’s understanding is that the issues at the heart of this dispute are long-standing and have remained unaddressed for an extended period. It therefore calls on all parties to resolve this impasse as a matter of urgency, if necessary using the normal industrial relations machinery of the state to assist.

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