Psychiatric nurses to ballot members on CUH staffing

The Psychiatric Nurses Association is to ballot members on revised staffing proposals designed to end a row that has delayed the opening of a €15m psychiatric unit at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The proposals, agreed over what the association described as “two days of very difficult discussions” at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) provide for:

• One additional supervisory nursing post in the 50-bed unit.
• The regularisation of 12 nurses acting in higher posts — confirmed in their posts rather than “acting”.
• The appointment of 17 temporary nurses to permanent positions.

However, there is no commitment to open a six-bed high observation unit, which was part of the original plan, other than the HSE saying that if it does, an additional 12.5 nurses will be employed.

Association general secretary Des Kavanagh said the proposals were not what they had hoped for but that the union was “obliged to put them to a ballot of our members who will decide where we go from here”.

Mr Kavanagh said while they had made some progress on staffing issues, there are still concerns on the failure to open the high- observation unit.

Mr Kavanagh said he was calling on Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch “to immediately provide the resources to open the high observation unit as originally planned”.

Siptu, which also represents staff due to transfer to the unit, said it would be discussing the proposals with members in the coming days before deciding on action.

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