IMPACT makes health cuts pledge to staff

Health workers in the trade union IMPACT have declared they will defend health service administrative staff if they were targeted for cuts.

Delegates at the union's Health Division Conference in Tullamore called on the Government to recognise the front-line role of most staff classified as administrative and said health services would collapse without their contribution.

IMPACT represents 25,000 health workers including health professionals and nurses, as well as clerical, admin and managerial staff.

Speaking at the conference Christine Cully of the union's health executive outlined her vision of health services without clerical and administrative staff.

"It would mean hours waiting in reception as reception staff were axed. No record of appointments as IT staff were sacked. Nurses on strike as wages went unpaid. Operations cancelled as medical records systems collapsed," she said.

She continued: "Many of these roles take place behind the scenes, so it s no surprise if service users are not aware of them. But critics inside the health sector are aware or should be aware of them. And the journalists and politicians, who take swipes at ill-defined bureaucrats should make the effort to investigate before putting pen to paper."