Health minister denies claims Mid-West hospitals review is an election stunt

INMO president Karen McGowan speaking to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly before he addressed the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's conference in Croke Park today, Friday. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Health minister Stephen Donnelly has pushed back against claims the newly-announced review of emergency services around Limerick is an election stunt.

The Hiqa-led review was announced on Thursday, just weeks after the minister and HSE boss Bernard Gloster announced a package of measures which they said at that point would alleviate the overcrowding crisis.

Local and national opposition politicians have linked the review to up-coming elections with voters across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary focused on overcrowding fears.

Speaking to reporters on Friday during the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation annual conference, Mr Donnelly did not accept that link.

“What I’m interested in is what patients are saying, what their families are saying, and what our frontline healthcare professionals are saying,” he said.

The INMO estimates there are “close to 200 vacancies” at UHL in nursing contrary to the promises in a framework on safe staffing levels nationally.

“I met with nurses in UHL when I was there a few weeks ago, and they were able to tell me that whilst it [the safe staffing framework] is progressing and important improvements have been made it isn’t fully implemented,” he said.

INMO president Karen McGowan told the conference safe working practices for nurses and midwives 'cannot come secondary to fiscal and budgetary requirements'. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Asked whether the hospital could be given an exemption or derogation from the HSE recruitment freeze to address these challenges, he said: “It’s not about a derogation and there are different views as to those 200 posts, some of them are due to leave and absenteeism.”

The INMO stands over its figures.

In his speech to the conference, the minister committed to “further investment and reform, including the full rollout of safe staffing for EDs” around the country. Some 400 agency staff will be offered work, he said, adding that “nearly 3,200 additional nurses and midwives” have also been hired.

“Even with this growth in the workforce, the recruitment pause has impacted implementation of the Framework for Safe Staffing,” he said.

However, outgoing INMO president Karen McGowan warned in her speech that nurses’ and midwives’ ability to do their jobs safely “cannot come secondary to fiscal and budgetary requirements” nationally. She said: 

The recruitment embargo as a whole sends a message that safe staffing is no longer a priority.

“It’s not enough to tell us that safe staffing is fully funded if it is not being rolled out.

“We are telling you today, loud and clear, that the recruitment moratorium is making it impossible for us to carry out our jobs safely and it is time for you as Minister for Health to sanction a clinical review into how this is impacting patient care.”

She also addressed midwifery concerns, saying: “Funding for midwives and midwifery-led units remains insufficient.”

She said political promises have not turned into real action on the national maternity strategy.