50 nurses out sick every day, claims HSE

UP to 50 nurses a day phone in sick at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, the Health Service Executive claimed yesterday.

A “surge” in nurse absenteeism has been blamed by the HSE for the continued closure of a surgical ward since last Monday.

Ward 1C usually closes at weekends with patients being allowed home.

However, it could not reopen last Monday leading to the cancellation of up to 50 elective operations during the week.

The claim of a daily absentee rate of 50 among the hospital’s 700 nurses has been dismissed by the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) as rubbish.

Hostilities between nurses and management at the hospital intensified amid claim and counter claim.

A 17-bed surgical ward has remained closed all week due to a nursing shortage at the hospital.

The Health Service Executive said that on average up to 50 nurses now phone in sick every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

INO industrial relations officer Mary Fogarty dismissed this claim: “I have checked with nursing management who estimate the level of absenteeism at around 3.6% or about 20 nurses a day. And another important aspect of that figure is that the vast majority of those 20 are on long-term sick and maternity leave. For instance last Monday there were only four nurses off sick. Others were off on long term sick leave. To say there is an absenteeism of 50 a day is totally wrong.”

She accused HSE management of acting in a mischievous manner putting out inflated figures.

She said: “To say 50 nurses go out sick every day is rubbish.”

Ms Fogarty said HSE management refused to give approval last week for four additional nurses to enable Ward IC to remain open.

She said: “I understand these four positions were approved on Tuesday and the ward will open on Monday on a five day basis.”

The HSE refuses to accept that it is impossible to transfer nurses from the various elective areas in order to give priority to acute patient care. HSE spokesman Michael Walsh said: “Ward 1C was closed temporarily last weekend due to lack of demand at a time when the hospital had 30 vacant beds. It was due to reopen on Monday to cope with renewed demand for beds but nursing management declared they did not have the necessary staff to do so.” Kieran O’Donnell TD of Fine Gael has claimed the drop in nurses on duty is a result of the executive’s embargo on filling jobs.