Nurses to strike in seven hospitals
Todays national meeting of INMO Emergency Department Representatives, directed the Organisation to continue planning for the first day of strike action.
It will affect seven ED departments, scheduled for January 14.
The hospitals involved in the action next Thursday will be:
- Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
- Mercy University Hospital, Cork
- Tallaght Hospital, Dublin
- Cavan General Hospital
- Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore
- University Hospital Galway
- University Hospital, Waterford
The meeting also directed the organisation to seek an expansion of the proposals, rejected earlier this week, to address the complete lack of confidence, felt by every ED nurse, in management’s ability to implement the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) brokered agreement, including the vitally important escalation policy to reduce overcrowding.
As well as the real concerns, with regard to maintaining the professional registration, of members who, due to overcrowding, are unable to deliver the full range of care required by any individual patient in the emergency department.
Today’s meeting heard numerous examples from members working in the frontline of their complete lack of confidence, based upon their experience, in the proposals being applied and delivered in hospitals.
Numerous contributions criticised the severe difficulties despite the existence of the new escalation policy and the commitment that it would reduce overcrowding.
The meeting welcomed the review, to be undertaken by the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), of ten hospitals to examine whether they did apply the escalation policy, correctly and in the proper time, and look forward to receiving the reports, from the SDU, as soon as possible.
The meeting today also elected a national representative committee who will attend any discussions, with health employers, to address the above two issues in the coming days.
Speaking this evening INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said, “Today’s meeting was strong, committed and absolutely determined to address the issues of concern which continue to be held by members in our Emergency Departments.
"It is quite clear that health employers will have to make a monumental effort, commencing this weekend, to begin convincing frontline nursing staff, in Emergency Departments, that the WRC proposals will be implemented and will make a real difference to patient care and safe nursing practice”.
The INMO will be making contact with the HSE with the view to having further discussions commence immediately.
