The hospital, which was due to open at 12 noon yesterday, initially deferred the opening until 4pm. However, when the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO), Siptu and the Health Service Executive (HSE) had failed to reach an agreement by that time, the hospital advised expectant mothers to present to their original hospital until further notice.

"There was a hub of activity here in the hospital this morning, with all of the equipment on standby and the rest of staff ready to start work, " said a spokeswoman for the HSE. "We are ready to start delivering babies and it's down now to the INO and the midwives."

The INO and Siptu nursing initially refused to move to the hospital, which unites the city's three maternity hospitals, St Finbar's, the Erinville and the Bons Secours, saying that staffing levels would be too low.

Late Friday night they recommended their members accept an offer from the HSE allowing the use of agency nurses to fill staffing gaps.

This offer was turned down by the midwives.

Head of the HSE Professor Brendan Drumm said he was "dismayed" that the opening of the hospital had been delayed. "What we are experiencing in Cork is reflective of the difficulties being experienced across the country in bringing about real change in the health service and people's resistance to change, " he said.

Meanwhile, former Master of the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street, Dublin Dr Peter Boylan said he believed it was "extremely unwise" to open the entire hospital in one day.

"Three organisations being brought together to operate at one site is a situation which should be undertaken in a staged and gradual fashion, " he said.