Breakthrough in sight in maternity hospital row

A breakthrough could be in sight in a bitter row regarding the staffing of Cork’s new maternity hospital, according to The Evening Echo.

Midwives attended for training at the new facility yesterday and again today and were expected to do so for the rest of the week.

As that training went on, meetings between the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) and health chiefs continued behind closed doors today in a bid to reach resolution before Saturday.

The union, which has been strongly vocal about its opposition to proposed staffing levels at the new Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in recent weeks, has agreed not to speak to the media in the coming days as both sides attempt to iron out their differences.

This follows a strongly worded letter sent by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the union yesterday, stating that the future of the €75m facility lay in the hands of the midwives.

The HSE threatened not to open the new facility should the midwives refuse to turn up for work on Saturday.

The opening of CUMH, due to take place last Saturday, has been postponed for a week.

The letter also stated that the contracts of more than 200 persons employed to run the hospital, including consultants, medical, clerical and administrative staff, would be re-examined and possibly terminated if the situation was not resolved on Saturday.

The INO was remaining tight-lipped today on the ongoing negotiations after agreeing to a ‘media black-out’ for two days in an attempt to resolve the row.

In a statement, the HSE said it will meet with the INO and SIPTU today in a bid to clarify matters.

“We are confident that by clarifying matters with the unions, along with a communications process between consultants, midwifery managers and midwives on all sites, that a consensus can be reached enabling us to finalise arrangements to open CUMH on Saturday, March 31,” a spokesman said.

The INO yesterday dismissed suggestions that delays in opening the new CUMH were due to a demand for more money.

Despite admitting it looked for a €1,000 payment for midwives and nurses to make the move to the new facility more attractive, the INO maintained that safe staffing levels were a priority.