Kerry hospital back on track as cover is restored

THE threat of further cancelled operations at Kerry General Hospital was lifted last night after the hospital said emergency cover was restored by members of the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU).

The operations were initially postponed by medical staff at the hospital because of concerns over patient safety because of the lack of cover for maintenance failures.

While a number of the TEEU workers are suspended in a continuing argument with the Health Service Executive (HSE), all were still expected by the HSE and their union to maintain emergency cover and a union source last night said the removal of emergency cover by the two workers in Kerry had not been sanctioned by the TEEU. The source said those two workers stopped their unofficial action on Wednesday afternoon.

The dispute between the TEEU and HSE is over who should carry out maintenance work in a number of hospitals around the country.

The union has accused the HSE of making the argument out as being over the replacement of light bulbs, but it insists it is about far more, including the outsourcing of a number of roles to outside contractors.

The union’s general secretary Owen Wills said a recommendation from the Labour Relations Commission on the matter needed to be adhered to, including the appointment of an independent, qualified person to arbitrate on the issues in the dispute.