Nurses stage one-day work stoppage
Members of the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) were joined by SIPTU colleagues on the work stoppage which lasted from 8am until 5pm.
According to the Health Services Executive (HSE), the action was unprecedented and posed “major implications” for services at Sligo as 240 nurses took to the picket lines. The hospital said it regretted the inconvenience caused to patients.
“We had to leave 100 patients go home in advance,” said a HSE spokeswoman yesterday, “but there were over 200 more who were deprived of nursing for the day, apart from emergency and certain on-call services.
“We were very disappointed at the action taken by nurses, particularly in view of the fact that discussions had taken place between management and local union representatives in an effort to prevent the dispute from proceeding.”
Clinical director of Sligo General, Paul Mullaney, said there was a potentially serious risk to patients. “We cancelled all elective work, including 260 outpatients appointments but we still had 210 patients in hospital, including 100 high dependency patients.”
The INO’s industrial relations officer, Noel Treanor, said nurses had been forced to take action. “Management refused to re-engage the 19 nurses despite a nurse deficit in Sligo and the fact that 60 vacant posts that have not been filled. Many had to work over and above their normal working hours to fill in the gaps and this, clearly, could not continue.”
“This action is not being undertaken with a light heart but is the only road available at this stage in pursuit of safe staffing levels.”
