Psychiatric nurses threaten action over compo scheme

PSYCHIATRIC nurses have raised the threat of industrial action after a meeting with health officials about the new occupational injury compensation scheme.

Both the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) and SIPTU have called emergency meetings to discuss the details of the scheme revealed by the Irish Examiner last week.

Last night the PNA said it has called its branch representatives to a February 5 meeting to decide how to react to proposals its senior industrial relations officer Seamus Murphy described as a “slap in the face”.

He was speaking after the Health Service Executive’s employers’ agency made a presentation on the new scheme to unions.

“We are calling our representatives in to decide where we go to next, but the vibes I have been getting from people today are very angry.

“This scheme has included none of the main recommendations we fought for in Labour Relations Court and we cannot understand why,” he said.

Under the proposed compensation scheme, injured workers requiring surgical assistance would be awarded €3,000.

The PNA has questioned if this will mean the same standard award is given to somebody requiring attention for superficial wounds as to a nurse who is stabbed to within an inch of their life.

“Under this scheme the doctors who were stabbed in Limerick last week would only get €3,000. How can you expect anybody to agree to that,” said Mr Murphy.

The PNA said the scheme was far inferior to the awards offered to members of the public under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB).

It cited two examples of a broken nose and a limb fracture which would be eligible for maximum payouts of €20,000 and €83,000 respectively under the PIAB.

An HSE spokesman said the decision was taken to operate the scheme from January 22 and it would not apply retrospectively.

SIPTU’s national nursing committee has decided to meet on Tuesday to discuss the scheme, which it said provoked outraged among its members.