Industrial action by 350 nurses at University College Hospital, Galway, which was due to start yesterday, has been deferred pending further discussions.
SIPTU warned, however, that the action over difficulties at the casualty unit could yet materialise.
Nothing concrete had been put forward by management to relieve continuing overcrowding which results in many patients being kept overnight in the unit pending admission to the hospital, a union spokeswoman, Ms Helen Murphy, said.