SIPTU ballots for strike over HSE West cutbacks

SIPTU is to ballot its members working in HSE West for strike action over plans to make hundreds of staff redundant in an attempt to recoup some of the €90m overspend which exists in the region.

News of the ballot came on the same day as outgoing HSE chief Brendan Drumm conceded it will be very difficult to find the expected cuts in the health budget – up to €700m – without impacting on frontline services.

Even in advance of the budget cuts, one immediate requirement will be a reduction in budgetary overspends across the health service and the HSE West’s regional director for operations John Hennessy has demanded his health managers draw up plans for job losses across the sector ahead of a meeting tomorrow.