Furious nurses threaten industrial action over staff shortages at hospital

NURSES at a hospital for mentally handicapped patients are threatening industrial action unless staffing levels are radically improved.

Irish Nursing Organisation members at St Mary’s, Drumcar, Co Louth, are furious that staff shortages meant that patients are being routinely restrained in straitjackets and locked up at night.

Entire wings are also left unattended at night because there are too few staff members on duty, a situation that would result in many deaths in the event of a fire, according to a review presented to the Department of Health, shortly after its completion last November.

The INO said the St John of Gods order could not continue to stand back from the situation that left both patients and nurses at risk.

Last June, nurses at the hospital deferred industrial action after the Labour Relations Commission put forward proposals for implementing the review that recommends the appointment of 94 additional staff.

In particular, the review recommended the immediate appointment of 30 additional night nursing staff to care for the 256 residents.

The INO, which represents 150 of the 160 nursing staff said both the Department of Health and St John of Gods shared responsibility for providing care in a humane environment with safe staffing levels.

INO industrial relations officer, Patsy Doyle said the action would begin with a work to rule, escalating to two-hour work stoppages.

Unfortunately, she said, patients had got caught up in the middle of a cat and mouse game between the order and the department over who paid for the service. She said most of the patients, aged between 19 and 60, needed lots of care.