Admissions cancelled as nurses intensify action

PLANNED admissions to a Midlands hospital were yesterday cancelled as nursing staff stepped up industrial action.

A nurses’ dispute involving 64 staff is entering its fourth week at Mount Carmel Care Centre in St Joseph’s Hospital, Longford.

An internal transfer of patients within the complex was also halted yesterday as Irish Nursing Organisation members decided not to accept new admissions with the exception of respite or palliative care patients.

A work-to-rule protest, the INO said, is focusing on intolerable working conditions as well as staff demands for better basic conditions for the centre’s 186 patients.

INO industrial relations officer Kevin O’Connor said the escalation of the dispute was due to the Midland Health Board’s failure to respond to the demands.

“The board’s only response was to offer arbitration in the Labour Relations Commission without exhausting all avenues at local level, as should be the case under the new Sustaining Progress agreement,” he said.

However, the health board yesterday refuted INO claims. A spokesperson said: “The board did respond to the INO’s claim and, in response, the INO declined an offer of further direct discussions.

“The INO has refused to co-operate with a referral of the issues in dispute to the LRC. The refusal of INO members to handle elective admissions and internal transfers will ultimately impact on patient care.”

But Mr O’Connor said the nurses will stage a further lunchtime protest at the hospital tomorrow. He said the INO was also seeking an urgent meeting with health board deputy chief executive John Cregan.

He said: “Industrial action will continue and may be escalated further until such a time as we get a substantial response.”

Meanwhile, South Eastern Health Board chief executive Pat McLoughlin meets today with the INO in a bid to resolve a dispute involving midwifes in the maternity wards of Wexford General Hospital.

Midwives have voted by 98% in favour of industrial action if staff levels are not boosted. The health board insists it cannot employ extra staff due to budgetary constraints but the INO’s Tony Fitzpatrick said midwives are sick of propping up the service by reporting for duty on days off and working longer hours.