Serious concerns have been raised over the shortage of nurses in Northern Ireland.

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) has issued a notice after it identified a number of failings following inspections.

SDLP leader Mark H Durkan called for the issue to be addressed as it will have an impact on care.

He said: "The frontline health service staff that we have are working themselves to the point of exhaustion to maintain the current level of care they provide. Nurses, doctors and other staff are fully stretched and that isn't a sustainable position in the long term.

"We're already seeing knock on effects from low morale to increased sickness leave. And part of the reason for that is that staff continue to be denied their minimal 1% pay increase. We have the money; we just need a local Minister to allocate it.

"This can only be addressed by functioning institutions with a local Minister charting health service transformation, backed by the full resources of an Executive.

"Sadly, some parties have said they see no basis for even resuming talks to form an Executive. I can see no better reason for resuming talks than saving our health service."

Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw reiterated her call for a Health Minister be put in place to take action.

The South Belfast MLA cautioned: "I wrote to the Department earlier this month to ask what its workforce planning policy is, particularly with further restrictions on recruiting from outside the UK potentially only eighteen months away.

"There are also significant concerns about the rising costs of using Agencies, some of which now seem to be involved in blatant profiteering.

"The issues involved are complex but what we have never had is time. Action is required now by the Department to put in a comprehensive workforce plan with full contingencies; and we must also have a Minister in place swiftly to address the agency issue and others.

"Otherwise the drive towards a two-tier Health Service will continue unabated."

(CD)