Psychiatric nurses ballot for strike action

Psychiatric nurses at St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin, will today ballot for possible strike action over staff shortages at an intellectual disabilities centre at the hospital.

Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association say community houses are losing nursing staff who are then replaced by healthcare assistants, which impacts on the clinical care needs of clients.

They say due to the lack of staff, there has been a roll back on services and cancellation of mandatory training for people with intellectual disabilities at the centre.

PNA branch secretary Michael Guilfoyle said many are not receiving adequate clinical care as a result of a lack of resources.

"What's happening in our service is these community houses are being closed down, [and the people] who are there are being moved back into residential care, because we don't have the nurses to look after them," he said.

"The people who are living in the community now have less clinical care by professionals, and that's having a huge impact."