Nurses to back consultants in dispute

NURSES last night rowed in behind hospital consultations in advance of next week’s industrial action over an insurance indemnity dispute.

The Irish Nurses Organisation will advise its nurse managers not to chair any meetings or carry out any administrative actions normally undertaken by consultants.

Earlier this week, hospital consultants rejected a call by Health Minister Micheál Martin to defer planned industrial action. The Irish Hospitals Consultants Association insist the threatened action will not be called off until doctors receive guarantees they would not be left liable for compensation claims of up to €120 million for as yet unsettled obstetric cases.

From Monday, consultants will suspend all National Treatment Purchase Fund work. Upwards of 150 people, scheduled for surgery, will be affected.

Strike action is scheduled to commence on Monday week, February 23.

The assistant general secretary of the IHCA, Donal Duffy, last night welcome the support offered by the INO.

Nurses’ union leader Liam Doran, in an interview with the Irish Medical Times, said INO members are being advised to show their support for the consultants.

“We will also be issuing a circular to all our representatives around the country not to do anything which undermines the consultants or to do any tasks, administrative or clinical, that are normally done by consultants,” Mr Doran said.

Essential nursing care would continue, he said. “Nurses will advised do all work other than that which undermined the legitimate rights of consultants to pursue their enterprise liability objectives.”

Mr Doran said the withdrawal of all but emergency cover by doctors would lead to the acute hospitals service functioning at a “Christmas day level” with all elective and outpatients work coming to a halt.