The Health Minister is asking nurses not to avail of early retirement as the health service faces a severe shortage in certain areas.

Leo Varadkar says the HSE is trying to address the shortage with a number of measures, including a recruitment drive in Britain.

Around 1000 nurses are due to retire by the summer, and the profession has been losing high numbers of workers since the recruitment embargo in the public sector.

Minister Varadkar says it is something they're acutely aware of.

“There clearly is a shortage of nurses in many parts of the health service, notwithstanding the fact that the number of nurses employed in the heath service actually increased by 500 last year there are a large number who can retire in June,” Mr Varadkar said.

“So yes, particularly where early retirement at 55 is an option, we’re encouraging people to stay on and of course recruitment campaigns are ongoing and there are plans for a recruitment campaign in the United Kingdom as well,” he added.