Staff at hospital angry at compensation claims

STAFF at one of the country’s oldest psychiatric hospitals were last night outraged following claims that the transfer of patients to a new unit was being held up by a row over compensation for workers.

Clinical director for the Limerick Mental Health Services, Dr Peter Kirwan, claimed the prolonged delay in transferring 38 elderly patients from a former workhouse building at St Joseph’s Hospital, Limerick, to a €2.5m community residence centred on bids by staff to improve a 4,000 transfer allowance.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association said the claims were an abuse of the facts. General secretary Des Kavanagh said the union has at all times led the campaign locally and nationally to maximise resources for mental health nursing.

“We are committed to resolving the outstanding issues as soon as possible. The issues principally concern staffing and conditions for patients remaining in St Joseph’s. The board’s reference to compensation as the key issue is an abuse of the facts,” Mr Kavanagh said.

The PNA has always sought to do its business in a professional manner, he added. But the whole process has been frustrated by the deferral of conciliation conferences in recent months.

One staff member, who declined to be named, said all his colleagues at the unit have the best interest of patients at heart. And he said the move was being halted for a number of reasons, the least of which was pay.

“The patients here are our friends more than anything else. To claim their move is being held up because of compensation is mere propaganda.

“A number of the patients here can go into town any day they want. The new unit will be three miles outside the city. And staffing levels still haven’t been fixed,” he added.

The Mid-Western Health Board has been attempting to get nursing unions to move to Parteen for the past 18 months. It has offered compensation of up to €4,000 per nurse to move but this has been rejected