Nursing unions to decide on strike action
If the unions’ coordinating strategy committee pursue such a route this morning, Liam Doran of the INO has warned that disruptive action will happen in days rather than weeks.
He said, however, it was too early to say when and what facilities would be affected and insisted nurses would do nothing that would impact on patient safety.
Yesterday 40,000 nurses began their work-to-rule across the country and refused to carry out administrative work or answer phones unless in an emergency.
There were conflicting reports from either side as to the effect the action had.
Liam Doran said reports the INO received indicated there was no effect on patient care and A&E units — which were expected to bear the brunt of the action — were working as well, if not better, than usual.
The unions said some hospitals had reported how nurses had more time for patient care as they were not carrying out the administrative functions.
However, Angela Fitzgerald of the Health Service Executive (HSE) said last night: “It has been a very difficult day for hospital and community services. We expected significant disruption and while we have not had to cancel elective procedures there has been a general slowing down of activity and moving [of] patients from the systems.”
She said contingency systems put in place by the HSE management had lessened the negative effects on the running of the hospital and care facilities.
“But we have 40,000 nurses and they have a vital role as part of a multidisciplinary team in making decisions about patient care every hour of every day. Taking them away from those duties will have an impact and that impact is cumulative.
“We coped today. We had difficulties in particular areas but we coped. But we would expect that as the days proceed, despite the measures put in place, we would expect very significant pressures on the system.”
She said the telephone and information technology functions carried out by the nurses are a “fundamental part of how we do our business”.
She continued: “For example, 60% of the workload of some nurses involves direct patient contact through telephones. The turning off of that system is having an immediate effect. We have mothers going home from maternity hospitals and it is very important that their children get the heal prick test [for infection] done.
“They were not being picked up today. There is only a very short window of opportunity to get that test done. If we look at A&E, triage systems which decide on priority patients, that was not being documented today.” She warned this could lead to delays in vital decisions.
Meanwhile, the work-to- rule continues today. The nurses’ unions have said it will not end until their demands for a date for a start of the 35-hour week for their members and a 10.6% increase in pay is guaranteed by the HSE.
Brendan Mulligan of the HSE has said, however, that the motives were simply more money for less hours and the patients would suffer as a result.
