Talks bid to resolve Cork psychiatric unit row

Conciliation talks to resolve a row over staffing that has led to a three-month delay in the opening of a new €15m psychiatric unit at Cork University Hospital (CUH) are under way at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).

The latest round of talks mark the fourth attempt at the LRC since January 16 to overcome the impasse that has kept the 50-bed state-of-the-art acute unit closed. While the main objection among unions centres on proposed staffing levels, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has also stated its opposition to the use of healthcare assistants, saying the grade cannot “add anything to adult acute services”.

Last September the HSE proposed 66 whole-time equivalent (WTE) posts to run the unit, to include 55 nurses, five healthcare assistants and six nurse managers. This was to staff 36 general adult beds, eight psychiatry-of-old-age beds and six high-observation beds.

In December, the HSE staffing proposal was reduced to 56 WTEs, to include 45 nurses, five healthcare assistants and six nurse managers — after the HSE abandoned plans for the high-observation unit saying it would not form part of the service “at this time”.

On February 17, following further conciliation talks, a proposal emerged from the LRC that both the PNA and Siptu recommended to members for acceptance — the offer of one additional staff nurse post by day and by night, equating to five WTEs. Unions recommended acceptance but the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected.

The dispute intensified after one psychiatric nurse, Des McSweeney, who aired his concerns about the new unit in the media was put off duty with full pay, resulting in the PNA threatening to withdraw from talks. Siptu then called for an independent expert to carry out a clinical review of the proposed operation of the unit. Instead the HSE appointed its own “external assessor”, the area director of nursing at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, to look at proposed staffing configuration. The assessment was to be completed in advance of the talks now under way.

The HSE has continued to defend its position saying the proposed staffing levels “compare favourably” to a similar acute unit in Beaumont Hospital. The HSE has also defended union claims that the removal of the high-observation element of the service presents significant clinical concerns.

“Management has confirmed that the observation of patients when deemed necessary by the relevant consultant will continue to be carried out in the same manner it is undertaken today” and that the new unit would not led to any reduction in service. Talks to resolve the dispute continue today.

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